


Degree of Separation

by watermelonriddles



Category: Good Girls (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon Divergence, Cheating, Confrontations, Developing Relationship, F/M, Sexual Content, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-20
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2020-01-20 21:21:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 67,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18533395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/watermelonriddles/pseuds/watermelonriddles
Summary: After taking his money back from the storage unit, it's six months before Rio and Beth see each other again and it doesn't take too long for them to fall back into business together, only this time, everything is different.





	1. Back Again

**Author's Note:**

> So, this fic diverges from canon after Beth discovers that Rio took the money back in 2x04. However, I will be taking some pointers (such as them getting into supplying drugs) from the show but just exploring it in my own way :)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rio starts to get some answers.

Rio honestly didn’t think it would last long. He was sure she would come rushing back after a week tops or the more likely, which he hated to admit, was that he would go running back to her. Beth had been out of the life for almost six months and he still hadn’t heard a peep out of her since that night in the bathroom. He had gone to get the money from the storage unit and then he left. He didn’t bother to contact her and she didn’t try either.

It took him a little under two weeks before he caved and sent his boys to watch her. He discovered that she was working at the dealership with her husband and other than being a busy woman, she was apparently completely fine. Rio hated how angry that made him. He was beginning to wonder if maybe something had happened to her but no, she was just living her life.

He had meant it when he gave her the keys to the kingdom but things change and he took his money back. He didn’t regret that. He half expected to get an angry phone call from her or a text demanding that they meet up but he never did. She had said she wanted out but he never believed her. There were plenty of times she could have gotten out and she never did, always coming back for more. It didn’t even cross his mind that this time would actually be different.

His boys kept their eye on her, driving by the dealership just to see, sometimes popping in. If she recognised them, she never made it obvious. A few times Rio drove by himself. He even went in once or twice but he always seemed to miss her. That was all during the first couple of months. He had long since given up on trying to catch her. She really had gone for good, _fine_ , if that’s what she wanted then so be it. Rio wasn’t the least bit bothered, at least until he saw her again.

Rio had just met with a couple of his boys. They had taken to meeting up for food on Fridays to discuss how business was going. He wasn’t involved in every single aspect anymore and it allowed for him to stay in the know regardless. He was just heading back to his car when he spotted her stepping out of that mama van of hers, all four of her kids piling out of the side door. He watches as she tries to keep them all together. She ushers them towards the pizza place just down the road from where she had parked. It didn’t take Rio long to figure out that she wasn’t full time at the dealership and it doesn’t look like that’s changed. 

She looks a little flustered as she holds the door open and waits for the kids to rush inside. Rio follows them but stays on the opposite side of the road. It’s a small place and fairly busy already but she manages to find a booth by the window and Rio finally gets a good look at her. She looks just the same. Her hair is a little longer and he’s sure it frames her face a little differently, although it’s hard to tell.

After the initial excitement of getting pizza dies down and their food is ordered, the kids are relatively calm. Rio watches as they all talk amongst themselves and, after the pizzas come, the whole family seems to brighten up. He hates the way his chest tightens at the sight of Beth laughing. At one point she even has to clamp her hand over her mouth as she doubles over. She looks so happy and, although he figured as much already, it really dawns on him then that she isn’t going to come back. Giving her one last look, Rio turns around and heads back towards his car, trying to ignore the pit in his stomach.

* * *

Rio can’t handle it. He’s decided as much already as he drives over to Beth’s house. He’s beginning to figure out why not seeing her bothers him so much. Why it sits at his very core and drives him mad wondering when he’ll see or even speak to her again. It’s his fault. He knows that deep down. If he hadn’t taken the money back, if he hadn’t been so stubborn and just contacted her first, then there wouldn’t be any radio silence. But it doesn’t really matter now, he just wants it to be over and she’s clearly moved on. He’s not entirely sure why he has to confront her, why he has to talk to her one last time, but he does. He’s pretty sure it’s the only way he’ll be able to really cut ties forever.

He parks just down the road and takes a slow walk towards her house. It’s just after eight.Her kids should be occupied or in bed and, after seeing her get pizza earlier, he figures that Dean is probably working late tonight at the dealership. It’s the perfect time to talk to her. As he reaches the house he notices that Dean’s car is in fact missing from the driveway but he still heads around the back.

On his way towards the backdoor, he stops dead. The lights in the kitchen are off but there’s a soft glow spreading in from the dining room. Through the kitchen window, he can see Beth sitting at the island counter, glass in hand. Her shoulders are slumped and if she were to look up, she would see him standing there, but she doesn’t. She simply stares down at her glass, swirling the contents. He debates going in to talk to her but then the sound of a car pulling up fills the air and Rio side steps so he’s further into the shadows.

Beth looks up then. She wipes at her eyes and her cheeks and it’s a like punch to the gut when Rio realises that she’s been crying. As Dean comes into the room behind her, she plasters on a smile before twirling around on her seat to face him. Rio can feel the anger pool inside of him as Dean approaches her and the two of them hug.

* * *

For the first time since he took the money, Rio does something he never thought he would. He’s waiting patiently in the diner that Ruby used to work at, sitting at one of the booths furthest from the door. There are three cups on the table, his already filled with a second round of coffee. He motions for the waitress to fill the other two as Annie and Ruby finally show up.

They slide into the seats across from him and once they are settled, he can see how nervous they are. He can’t really blame them. It’s been even longer since he saw or spoke to them.

“Is there something wrong?” Ruby asks and he catches the hesitation in her voice.

He focuses his attention on Annie. “What’s going on with your sister?”

“What do you mean?” Rio doesn’t answer and she sighs. “Nothing is going on with Beth.”

“Funny,” he says, pausing to take a drink of his coffee. “I went to see her tonight.”

Both of them share a surprised look but it’s Ruby who speaks. “So why are you asking us about her?”

“I didn’t talk to her.” He fixes both of them with a look, hoping to convey how serious he is. “She was sitting alone in the dark, crying. The thing is though,” he leans on the table, “as soon as that husband of hers walked in, she plastered on a smile.”

Annie and Ruby share another look and he notices the concern right away. “You haven’t exactly been around,” the former says. “Why do you care? I mean, _do_ you care?”

He shrugs a little. “Let’s just say I do.”

“She had to make a choice,” Annie tells him after receiving a confirming nod from Ruby. “Between the business and her family.” He quirks a brow at that. He had never asked her to choose. “After you took the money back she could have tracked you down. We think Dean realised that too because he gave her an ultimatum.”

Rio’s hands tighten a little around his cup but he just nods his head a little. “Go on.”

“I know my sister would pick her kids over you any day.”

“I would pick my kid over her too.”

Annie takes a deep breath and leans on the table, clasping her hands together. She’s nervous and Rio realises that she’s wanted to talk about this for a long time now. That whatever is going on with Beth really doesn’t sit well with her.

“Dean gave her no choice really,” Ruby explains when Annie seems to struggle to find the words. “She felt like he would go to the FBI to get you out of her life.”

“He’s stupid enough not to realise it’ll only get her into trouble too,” Annie adds, rolling her eyes a little. “She would pick those kids over you any day _but_ that doesn’t mean she wanted to.”

That hit him. It didn’t matter how confident he had originally been that she would come back. Did they really believe that she wouldn’t have walked away from him by choice? Although it did explain why he never heard a peep from her. He adjusted a little in his seat, trying to ignore the way his stomach twisted.

“We can see she’s miserable,” Ruby continues. “Sometimes she’s great. I think spending so much time with the kids again has helped.”

“But she misses you- _the business_.” Annie’s eyes dart away, realising she’s said too much but Rio’s heart is already beating faster.

“I get it, she picked her family,” he says. “But she’s back with him?”

“I’m sure she thinks it’s easier,” Annie says and it’s the confirmation he needs. “I can see her slipping back into the housewife she was before. Back to being ‘Bethie’.”

Rio notices the sarcasm around the nickname and he gets this sickening feeling in the back of his throat that he’s sure Annie is experiencing as well.

“She’s just diving in head first,” Ruby elaborates. 

“I think she’ll be able to cope better with- _Ow!_ ” Rio looks between them and realises that Ruby must have hit Annie under the table. He narrows his eyes at them and Ruby rolls her eyes and reluctantly motions for Annie to continue. “Let’s just say, she made her decision to stop shit from hitting the fan but it was also to protect you.”

Rio blinks a few times and sits back. “What?”

Ruby chews on her bottom lip for a moment. “She was going to leave him. After the ultimatum. File for divorce, finally kick his ass out for good this time..”

“ _And_?”

“You have to promise not to retaliate,” Annie says, sitting up a little straighter and doing her best to fix him with what he’s sure is meant to be a determined, maybe even threatening, look. “Because I will call the cops on your ass myself.”

Rio holds his hand up in defence. “I promise.” He meant it, he just had to know. All of this time he thought that he and Beth were both just too stubborn but it turns out there might be more to the story.

“Dean tried to have you killed.”

That takes him by surprise. It’s the kind of thing he would normally hear about although he never thought someone like Dean would be that much of a threat to him. If it wasn’t for the serious looks on their faces he would have laughed it off.

“Elaborate.”

“He was willing to hire anyone and pay anything to make you disappear for good,” Ruby says and she looks scared. It takes Rio a minute to realise its fear of him, of how he might react. “He wanted you out of her life. After you took the money, he thought that would be it. During that first week, when it seemed like she might cave and track you down, it all came out and so she chose.”

“We don’t know the details,” Annie clarified. “She just told us that part of the decision making led to Dean giving up on his vendetta. Being with Dean again, trying to make it work… I think she feels like she deserves it.”

Rio chews on his lip. “Could he do it? Get someone to kill me, I mean.”

“He’s surprisingly resourceful.” He notices the way Annie switches to anger a little too quickly and he gives her a look to continue on. “He managed to keep years of cheating with multiple women under wraps.”

“It’s not just that,” Ruby interjects. “He got them into serious debt, _twice_. And not to mention the cancer.”

Rio frowns. “Cancer?”

“That big party that she threw for Kenny’s birthday?” Rio nods a little as he remembers standing by the house, watching over the guests as they crowded around the birthday boy and his cake. “Well, they weren’t living together at that point and I’m not entirely sure what happened but he told her she had cancer.” Rio can already feel his stomach drop. “She found out later it was all lies.”

“And she’s _still_ with him?”

“You shot him,” Ruby says but there’s no venom in her voice, she’s just stating facts. He focuses his gaze on her. “She felt so guilty. She never really confronted him about the cancer. I think she thinks they’re even because she got him shot. Either way, he’s capable of more than people give him credit for.”

“What are you going to do?” Annie asks him.

He shakes his head. “Nothing.”

“Really?” She’s fixing him with a disbelieving look and he begins to wonder when he became so predictable.

Rio stands up from the table. “I’m gonna go and see her.” He taps the table lightly with his fingers. “Just to talk.” With that, he walks away. He does everything he can to keep down the anger that’s pooling inside of him. He always figured he wouldn’t care what was going on in her life. Things clearly weren’t fantastic otherwise she wouldn’t have invited him to have sex with her in that bathroom while on a date with her husband but he always shrugged it off. Now that he knows what has been going on, Rio finds he does care, perhaps even a little too much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't written a fic this long since 2014. In general, I think the most I've written for fiction since then was 13,000 words for my final project at university so this will be interesting. I just really wanted to write something lengthy that canon couldn't mess with too much so I hope you enjoy and I'm hoping (fingers crossed) to update this somewhat regularly.


	2. The Catch Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beth and Rio finally talk.

When Rio shows up at Beth’s house for the second time, she’s already waiting for him. He pauses at the sight of her sitting at the picnic bench. She’s dressed the same way she had been the night he watched her fix the stop sign. His heart quickens a little at the memory. But unlike that night, she doesn’t look to him first, so he slowly approaches her. Although he’s sure she must be aware of his presence by now, she doesn’t look up, not even when he sits down on the table, his feet on the bench beside her. It’s late and he can tell he’s woken her up.

“What do you want?” she finally asks.

“I just met with Ruby and Annie.” That gets her to look at him. There’s a moment of surprise before it disappears and she just watches him blankly, waiting. “They told me.”

Beth stands up suddenly. He watches as she walks away a little before stopping, her arms wrapping tightly around herself. He doesn’t need to see her face to know she’s trying to figure out how to avoid this conversation.

“What did they tell you?” Beth asks without turning around.

“Everything.” He gets off the picnic bench and moves towards her, only stopping when he’s almost right behind her. “About the cheating and the lying. Your husband trying to kill me.”

She whips around then and she looks scared and upset all at once. “What are you going to do to him? I mean, he didn’t actually do it. He was just looking at his options.”

Rio shakes his head. Any other time he would love to do something but it’s currently low on his list of priorities. “Nothing… If you talk to me.”

Beth closes her eyes and gives a slight nod. “Fine.”

“Apparently protecting me had something to do with your decision. Explain that.”

“I didn’t have much to bargain with.” She opens her eyes and lets out a steady breath. “When I realised he might go to the FBI I chose my kids instead of looking for you. He got worried I would still go back. I told him that I was choosing our entire family if he dropped this vendetta against you.”

“You agreed to get back with your husband so he wouldn’t kill me?”

She bites her lip and shrugs. “I hate you sometimes. God, I _really_ hate you. But the thought of him actually pulling it off? Of hearing on the news that you had been killed?” She shakes her head and he realises then that she’s close to tears. “I couldn’t handle that.”

“I can protect myself, darling.” He’s pretty sure about that but he makes sure to sound absolutely confident about it when he says it.

“Maybe so but I couldn’t live with myself if you couldn’t.”

“Well,” he reaches up and swipes at a tear as it rolls down her cheek. “now I know, I can protect myself. You don’t have to do it for me.”

“So?”

“I saw you earlier tonight,” Rio tells her and he pushes past the stunned look on her face. “Crying to yourself and faking a smile.”

“He’ll go to the FBI,” Beth says without missing a beat. “I know how you reacted the last time and I can’t be without my babies because we both know I’ll go down too. And neither of us is naive enough to think you or anyone else is going to leave me out of it.”

She’s not entirely wrong and he doesn’t bother to try and hide it but there are also things she doesn’t know. For a moment Rio contemplates whether or not to tell her what he knows but as she starts to turn away, he realises he has no choice.

“The FBI won’t be a problem.” She stills and he takes that as a sign to keep talking. “I heard the investigation might be downsizing.”

She glances at him. “How do you know that?”

He shrugs. “I got eyes and ears in the right places.”

“Downsizing doesn’t mean it’s over.”

“We’ve avoided the FBI this long. Your husband can do what he wants. It won’t stick. I’ll make sure of it.”

“For me or for you?”

“Why not both?”

“The thought of him killing you because I couldn’t stay away might have destroyed me,” she tells him. “But I don’t trust you. My family isn’t perfect but this is how I take back some normality. If I have to go back to PTAs and taking care of my house, I might as well go all in. I’ve got nothing to lose at this point.”

She starts back towards the house then and for a moment Rio just stares at her. The voice in the back of his head tells him not to but he pushes it down. “Let’s go out.”

Beth freezes. She looks tense and it’s a moment before she slowly turns back around. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me.”

“Like a date?” He nods and she begins to look a little panicked. “I, uh… I…” She splutters, trying to come up with some kind of excuse. “ _Why_?”

“Why not?”

“I wasn’t sure dating was your kind of thing.”

“It’s one date.” He steps closer to her, stopping so that there’s still some space between them. “You say you’re picking your family. I respect that. But why him?”

“Why do you care? It’s been six months and you haven’t once tried to contact me.”

“Doesn’t mean I didn’t think about it,” he says quickly. “Plus, you look miserable.”

She rolls her eyes. “Wow, thanks.”

“You do.” He fixes her with a determined look. “I don’t see that light in you anymore.”

“Well, I guess men just like to extinguish it.” Rio flinches a little at that but quickly manages to hide it. She isn’t wrong. He remembers that lack of light, standing outside of her house, Beth asking him if he was going to kill her. “He’s my husband.”

That recaptures his attention. “That’s what you’re going with, huh?”

She sucks in a breath. “I don’t have a choice.”

“One night,” he repeats. “If you still want to stay away, I won’t get in your way.”

Beth regards him for a moment before she starts to walk away. He remains exactly where he is, watching her closely. Eventually, as she reaches the doors, she turns back around. He closes the space between them as quickly as possible. As he approaches she opens the door.

“Monday at the bar,” she tells him. “I’ll meet you between leaving the dealership and picking up the kids.”

It’s an entire weekend away but Rio’s not about to argue. He simply nods his head and she disappears inside the house. 

* * *

Rio gets to the bar first. It’s reasonably quiet but not as empty as the first time they met here. There’s a couple of people at the bar and a handful scattered among the tables. He slips over to where they had sat before and orders them both drinks and by the time they’re set in front of him, she arrives.

He smiles as Beth comes and sits down beside him. She gives him a fleeting look and he half expects her to deny the bourbon but she simply picks it up and takes a drink. His eyes slowly scan over her. She looks tired and he’s half tempted to bring it up. Although he’s been guilty of it in the past, he’s been too busy the last couple of days to follow her around and what she’s been up to since they last spoke is a complete mystery.

In the end, he decides to speak first. “I’ve been doing some work.”

“Is that all you do?” she enquires.

He ignores the slight bite to her words. “Into the investigation.”

Beth takes another drink but finally, her attention is on him. She seems to regard him before setting the glass down on the bar. “And?”

“The powers that be can’t justify the money and manpower,” Rio explains. “It’s forcing Turner to look elsewhere and not just at us.”

“That’s better,” she admits. “But that doesn’t mean he’s off our backs.”

He takes a drink. “Downsizing is only a good thing.”

“You’re not going to change my mind.”

“Then why are you here?”

She pauses and he can see her trying to figure out the right answer. “Why not?”

He begins to smile at that but hides it behind his glass as he takes another drink. “Is a normal life really worth staying married?”

“I don’t have to justify myself to you.” But when he just continues to look at her, refusing to back down, she sighs and picks up her glass to take another drink. “I don’t have a way to support my family anymore.”

“You were gonna kick him out before you realised what he was planning.”

Beth looks at him in disbelief. “They really did tell you everything, huh?” Rio nods and she rolls her eyes a little, facing forward. “I was angry after everything but then when the dust settled I realised that I didn’t have any way to support the kids. Sure he would have to help but I would still be relying on him. And how do I pay for myself?”

“What about the dealership?” He swirls the contents of his glass.

“I needed something, he threw me a bone.” She shrugs but Rio can feel his blood run cold. He can see it in the slight twist of her face, the way it all bothers her deep down. “He owns the place. Sure, I’d get it if anything happens to him but I have no say. I’m just another employee.”

“You think he’d use it against you?”

“Pretty sure,” she says. “No way I’d have that income if I kicked him out.”

Another drink before he sets his glass down and pushes it away. “How come you sunk some of the money into the dealership?”

“I didn’t sink anything,” she retorts. “Sure some of it was a waste but it got the inventory up and now it’s all doing pretty well.”

“That because of you or him?” She doesn’t answer so he pushes on with another question. “What would you have done with the money I took back?”

“I was going to burn it.” He quirks a brow at that and she shrugs a little. “I wanted out. I told you that. The three of us used what we needed to and the rest was useless.”

“You could have used that money to support yourself.”

“And if you still took it back?”

“If you hadn’t of handed it over to your husband, I might not have.”

Beth gave him a look like she didn’t believe that or maybe that she thought he would only come back at a later date to do the same thing. “I had no way to clean it anyway. The refund system didn’t work anymore. The dealership was right there and I only needed to clean a little bit to tide us over.” He had to hand it to her, she was always quick at finding a solution to her problems. “Plus, I’m not angry you took away the money.”

“You’re not?” When she turns to look at him, he props his head up on his hand and smiles at her. “What are you angry at then?”

“I wasn’t going to use that money,” she says again, more determination in her voice. “It wasn’t really anger per se, I guess it just struck me.” He gives her a look to continue and she looks him up and down. “You said I was a boss now. Taking that money said more than that.”

Rio was genuinely curious about that. He had always expected anger from his actions with the storage unit so the idea that there was more fascinated him. “What did it say?”

“You were wrong.”

“That so, huh?”

“I’m no boss.” She gives a small, dismissive shrug. “I gave it a shot.”

“Oh, you still could be.” He watches her. She’s facing forward again but he can tell that she doesn’t believe it. “Just gotta try a little harder. You had it there for a second.”

“I’m not coming back,” she says without missing a beat.

“Be good if you could actually look at me when you say that.”

Beth twirls around in her seat and actually gets down from the stool. Rio straightens up and she’s so close that his knees are practically pressed against her. She has one hand on the bar and she leans in a little, looks him right in the eye.

“I’m done.”

He licks his lips, looks her up and down, silently telling himself not to smile. “You should still kick him out.”

“ _Stop_.”

“You know, you might be right. The boss bitch I know wouldn’t take that shit lying down.”

To both of their surprise, Beth shoves him. He has to grab onto the bar as the stool tips in order to steady himself. As he straightens up, he glares at her. She’s regained her cool, the surprise look completely gone.

“What?” she goads. “You gonna point your gun at me now?”

It had crossed his mind but he simply shakes his head and instead smiles. “There she is.”

“You’re an asshole,” she spits. “My husband may be a lot of things, he may have hurt me, but _you_ …” She trails off and Rio wants her to continue but instead, she takes a deep breath and turns to leave. “I have to get my kids.”

Rio lets her go but as soon as she’s gone, he gets up, tosses some cash on the bar and leaves himself. The whole thing plays over in his head. It didn’t exactly go quite to plan. He had hoped things would be a little more lighthearted but it worked nonetheless. Right at the end there, he saw it, that fire again.

He texts Carlos on the way to his car and then he drives straight to her house. When he gets there, Carlos is already waiting, parked just down the street just in case. Rio pulls up beside him and they both open their windows. From the way they’re parked, Carlos has to lean across the center console to see.

“You got it?”

Carlos looks like he wants to ask something but seems to think better of it as he holds up the pearls. When Rio nods, he tosses them through the open window and Rio catches them.

“You need anything else?” Carlos asks.

“Nah,” Rio says. “But I’m going to be busy tonight.”

“Got it.”

It’s Rio that drives off first and he pulls up in the driveway, not bothering to care who might see him. With her pearls wrapped around his hand, he heads around back and it doesn’t take him long to find the spare key by the backdoor.

Once he’s inside, he grabs a pen and a piece of paper from the kitchen and heads straight to her bedroom where he scans her room, trying to figure out the best spot. Eventually, he goes to her bathroom and looks at the mirror. He hangs the pearls on the corner of the frame before writing - _“because you delivered” midnight_ \- on the piece of paper. He wedges it under the corner of the frame to hold it in place near to where the pearls are. He knows she’ll see it in time to meet him and he’s even more confident that she’ll understand. It all comes down to whether she’ll show up or not. He certainly hopes so. 

* * *

When midnight rolls around, Rio’s already been waiting at the park for almost an hour. He’s on the picnic bench, actually choosing to use the seat this time and he’s not worried. _Yet_. That'll begin to settle in soon and then he’s sure anger will follow and then he’s even more sure that he’ll go straight to her house with no regard of whether her husband sees him or not.

But then he hears the sound of a car pulling up and it’s not too long before Beth appears. She doesn’t greet him or mention anything about why she’s late, she simply goes and sits on one of the swings. She begins to rock back and forth, the movements lazy.

“Didn’t think you were gonna show.”

She finally looks at him. “I almost didn’t.”

“I’m not gonna apologise.”

“Didn’t expect you to.”

Rio gets up then and heads towards her. As he stops in front of her, she stills her movements. He’s close enough that she has to look up at him. She’s impossible to read and, if he wasn’t so determined, he would be impressed.

“You said you were gonna leave me be if I really wanted out,” Beth reminds him. “I do.”

“And I respect that.”

She rolls her eyes like she doesn’t believe it but then, after the briefest of moments, something seems to hit her and she looks at him properly. Rio frowns a little as she looks him over. “Then what are we doing here?”

“You don’t want to put that boss bitch attitude into working with me? Fine.” He looks her right in the eye, face as serious as he can make it, hoping she’ll trust him this one time, that she’ll believe him. “But there are other ways you can put it to use.”

Beth stands up and they’re so close that if either of them were to take a step, they were would be chest to chest. “Why is my marriage so important to you?”

“It ain’t the marriage.” She blinks a few times and even he’s surprised by the admission. “We don’t gotta work together but,” he looks her up and down, “you shouldn’t live like this and…” He trails off. And what? Six months was too long? Was he really going to admit to her that he didn’t want to think about another second without seeing her again? He could barely set it straight in his own head let alone explain it to her. In the end, he settles for something far more simple. “I’ll see you soon, yeah?”

He doesn’t wait for a response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really don't want the FBI to be a part of this story so I'm going to be gradually pushing it out of the way :P Also, there will be a genuine date between these two in the future, maybe more than one, so if you were hoping for that, you'll still get it.
> 
> I also want to say a quick but very strong thank you to all of you who have taken an interest in this so far!


	3. The Catalyst

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Rio discovers more about Beth's life at Boland Motors and Dean continues to prove that he'll never change.

It’s been a couple of days since Rio met with Beth and he pushes down every thought of her that follows. He’s currently stuck in this middle ground and he hates it. On the one hand, if she really is done then he’s going to have to walk away, but his words - _I’ll see you soon, yeah?_ \- still hangs in the air unanswered and so he can’t completely walk away just yet although he does keep his distance.

Rio knows that he might have to walk away and while the thought alone makes him want to hit the nearest thing out of frustration, he’s accepted it. He did promise after all. The least he can hope for is that she’ll finally kick her sorry excuse of a husband out and reclaim her life and Rio figures that if it’s the only thing to come out of this entire situation, it’ll be worth it.

It’s getting late and Carlos has called to talk business. They decide to meet and it takes for Rio ordering some tea and sitting at a table in the corner of the room for him to realise that it’s the same place he met Beth during their shutdown before it all went wrong. It takes him even longer to notice that Carlos, who sits across from him, has been talking and he hasn’t taken in a single word. It’s only when the waitress places their drinks down that he clocks on.

“Repeat that.”

Carlos raises a brow, hint of a smile that he manages to hold down. “I said we had to back out of a couple of businesses.”

“Define a couple,” Rio says as he wraps his hands around his cup.

“Three,” Carlos says. “The smaller ones.”

“What’s the problem this time?”

“The usual, they just can’t handle dealing with all that cash. It’s too dangerous to mess with, even if the FBI is winding down.”

Rio nods, taking the silence to drink some of his tea as he mulls it over. It would be easy enough to swan into each business and wave his gun around, let his boys throw their weight around a little, but at this point, it’s really not worth it. In the long run, these places can’t handle the cash flow and keep making mistakes, he’s gonna have to cut ties eventually.

“They gonna cause trouble?”

“I think they’re relieved and just want rid of us,” Carlos says with a shrug. “Plus, they know we still got all that shit on them. They won’t talk.”

“So what’s the plan?”

“For now we’re gonna give some of the bigger ones a little more to wash but we need to rethink. Either more businesses or figure out the split a little better.” He sits back in his seat a little as Rio nods. “Who knew it would be so hard to find a business that can wash cash as well as three suburban bitches?”

Rio gives him an unamused look and Carlos just goes back to drinking his coffee. It’s a fair enough statement. Over the past six months, Rio had to move things around a lot to make up for the cash that was no longer being washed by them. Most of the local businesses were able to take on some more cash but to avoid drawing too much attention it meant bringing in new, smaller businesses to work with. There was always something going on with them and Carlos was right, he never would have guessed in a million years that Beth walking away would cause such a disruption to his workflow.

By the time they finish their drinks, Rio’s phone pings. It’s one of the last people he expects to hear from but nonetheless, he reads the text over before standing up and pocketing his phone. He throws some cash down on the table.

“I got to go,” he tells Carlos. “You got it handled?”

He nods. “Should have some updates by tonight, tomorrow at the latest.”

“I’ll check in tomorrow,” Rio decides.

They both know that if anything major happens in the meantime, Carlos will either sort it or call him, so they leave it there. 

* * *

By the time he gets to the diner where he met Ruby and Annie the previous week and parks up, they’re already waiting. He slides into the seats across from them. They’ve chosen a corner booth and like before, there are three cups on the table. Two are already filled and Rio signals for the waitress so he can fill his own.

“I was surprised to hear from you.”

Annie shrugs. Neither she nor Ruby gives anything away as to how this little meeting is going to go down and it only spikes Rio’s curiosity. “I want to know what happened with my sister.”

He raises a brow. “You haven’t spoken to her?”

“I saw her on Monday after she got home with the kids,” Annie explains. “She looked a lot more flustered than usual and all weekend she was distance.”

“We were meant to hang out on Sunday,” Ruby adds. “She canceled.”

“She’s just being weird, alright?” Annie says, clearly getting worked up. “Figured you might know something about that.”

“We just talked,” he says before drinking his coffee.

“About?”

“Stuff.”

Annie narrows her eyes. “She was fine until you said you were going to speak to her.”

Rio laughs a little at that. “You think she was fine?”

“That’s fair.” Ruby sighs and nudges Annie a little. He can tell they are frustrated, probably running around in circles trying to keep things straight enough to help Beth when she most likely is keeping everything to herself. He wants to laugh at that because of course she’s trying to handle it on her own. 

“She’s just secretive enough as it is,” Annie says, confirming his suspicions. “We want to help.”

He thinks on it for a moment, watching them over the brim of his cup. “She still wants out.”

“And?” Annie enquires.

“I respect that,” Rio says because although he’s still hanging in that in-between space, hoping she might change her mind, he does. “Got her to think about re-considering her marital status.”

“Wow.” Ruby breathes out slowly. 

Annie narrows her eyes a little at him. He can see the distrust written all over her face. “Why do you care so much?”

“You know, you’re just like your sister.”

Annie wraps her hands around the cup and looks down at its contents. “Is she? Reconsidering?”

Rio shrugs. “No clue.” And before they can respond, he quickly moves the conversation on. “So now, let me ask you something, what’s the situation with the dealership?”

The two of them share a look but it’s Ruby who speaks. “What do you mean?”

“I know she works there.” He takes a drink of his coffee. “How’s that work?”

“She usually works eight till eight three days a week,” Annie explains. “Dean will come in late and leave early so someone is there for the kids. The other four days they switch.”

Rio mulls that over. Thinking about what she had said about Dean throwing her bone. “What does she do?”

“Admin mostly,” Ruby says, seemingly thinking it over. “Makes drinks for anyone who sits down to buy. Mostly just hovers and maintains.”

“I saw her sell a couple of those vans once,” Annie adds. “Ones like hers. She was pretty good actually.”

None of it surprises him. He isn’t afraid to admit that she picked up working for him at an alarmingly impressive rate. Sure she had made some mistakes along the way but she was a quick learner and damn good at anything she put her mind to. “How come she stopped?”

“I don’t think there’s been any more of them on the lot and it’s really the only cars she knows anything about,” Annie says before rolling her eyes. “And I doubt _Deansie_ appreciates that she’s actually good at something. I mean, he didn’t like it when she was good at being a criminal.”

“Right, right,” Rio says because his focus is already drifting a little. “She mentioned something about working there being her idea.”

“Definitely,” Ruby says with a slight laugh. “No way he would have suggested it.”

Rio sits back and sips quietly at his coffee. The entire situation sits with him in a way that leaves a horrible taste in the back of his throat. He can tell it bothers Annie and Ruby just as much and he finds himself wishing for the days before the three of them robbed him. Maybe if he had just killed them when he planned to or at the very least ignored the pearls, they wouldn’t be here and he wouldn’t feel the very strong urge to commit murder in the name of some suburban housewife that somehow managed to get under his skin.

And almost like summoning her, his phone buzzes and when he pulls it out of his pocket, her name flashes across the screen. He barely wastes a second before standing up. He throws out a casual “I gotta go”, not even bothering to look back at Annie or Ruby as he walks away and he’s no more than a few steps away from their table when he answers the call.

* * *

When Rio arrives at her house, he enters through the side door and Beth doesn’t even look over from her spot by the sink. She’s looking out of the window. The sink is filled with soapy water and there’s a glass of bourbon on the side. He automatically drifts over to the island counter. The sound of the stool scraping softly against the floor seems to spring her back into action because she suddenly dips her hands back into the water.

Rio sits down just as she puts the last plate on the rack to dry. She dries her hands and begins to move around the kitchen, cleaning as she goes, and he simply sits there and watches her. Every now and again he catches sight of her face and she’s got this faraway look in her eye as if she’s on autopilot. He’s not overly concerned. She sounded more… frustrated, maybe even a little fed up when they talked on the phone. He’s curious more than anything.

Finally, when he starts to think that Beth might never speak up, she does. “You’re a man, right?”

Normally he would laugh but he can tell she’s serious. “The last time I checked, yeah.”

Beth is at the side of the island counter, to his right. She leans on it. Her hands are intertwined, stretched out before her, elbows pressed together. Her head drops down as she lets out a breath. It’s slow as if she has to work up the energy for it.

“I’m just wondering, is every girl under the age of twenty-five with no curves whatsoever that irresistible?” She raises her head then and looks at him. “Or do you think it’s just because they’re the complete opposite of me?”

Rio blinks a few times, startled. He’s not sure what he had expected her to say but that wasn’t it. The way she looks at him makes it very clear that she’s being serious and that just puts him at even more of a loss.

“You’re gonna have to be a little clearer, darling.”

She sighs as she reaches to pull her phone from her back pocket. After hitting the screen a few times she slides it over to him. “Press play.”

He does as he’s told but the second the footage starts, he frowns. “You want me to watch a video of your husband?” He glances up at her. “Of him at work?”

“Oh, keep watching.” Beth straightens up and goes back over to stand by the sink, looking out of the window once again. This time she grabs the glass of bourbon and finishes it off. “The best part is coming up.”

Rio glances back at the screen just in time to see a young woman walk into frame. The video is clearly taken from just outside of the office but with everything being glass walls and windows, it’s easy enough to see what’s going.

As the woman leans against the doorframe to the office, it’s not hard to guess where it’s all headed. Rio chances a look at Beth who still has her back to him and when he looks back at the phone, the woman is stood between Dean and the desk. 

He quickly locks the phone and slides it away as the pair begin to kiss. “He always that…” He couldn’t think of the right word. Handsy? Awkward? Instead, he settles on, “heavy-handed?”

Beth turns around then. “I wouldn’t know anymore.” At that, Rio tilts his head to the side a fraction and she rolls her eyes a little. “Let’s just say it’s been a while. _Years_.” Rio raises a brow and she fixes him with a very unimpressed look. “Other than that time with you.”

“No wonder you were so loud,” he says before he can stop himself. It wasn’t necessarily the volume of her while they had sex in that bathroom. It was the fact that a lot of their encounter, especially once he had her pressed up against the wall, was filled with moans and a lot of sudden gasps and sharp intakes of breath.

“Maybe I’m just vocal.”

Rio thinks about how he wants to test that but this time he manages to keep his mouth shut. “When did this happen?” he asks instead, motioning towards her phone.

“It started about twenty minutes before I called you.”

He pauses before looking between the phone and her. “That was _tonight_?”

“I got new cameras installed at Boland Motors,” Beth explains. “I automatically get an alert on my phone if a lot of movement is detected after closing. Dean probably forgot all about it.”

“He’ll probably be back soon,” Rio notes. “It’s getting really late.”

It doesn’t seem to phase her. “Probably.”

“Is that why I’m here?”

She shakes her head. “I’m too tired to confront him.”

For the first time, he gets up from his stool. He moves around the island counter until he’s stood right beside her. He waits patiently. She’s looking right ahead, to the spot where he had just been sitting. It takes a few moments but eventually she does turn to face him. Just like that night outside of her house, she refuses to look him in the eye until she ultimately gives up and raises her head so she can meet his gaze.

“Then why am I here?”

She doesn’t miss a beat. “I wanted to talk to you.”

“What for?”

“Annie and Ruby tried to convince me, _you_ tried to convince me, and I was stubborn. I know what Dean is and I knew I would get hurt but it was just easy, you know?” She shakes her head. It’s pretty much everything she’s already said before. “I just wanted to tell you that you were right.”

He can’t help but smile at that. “That so, huh?”

She shoves him a little. “Don’t look so pleased.”

Rio regards her for a moment, a smile still tugging at the corners of his mouth but he’s feeling much more serious. “That all you wanted?”

“I don’t want to be alone.”

He’s not sure what surprises him more: how quickly she answered his question or how honest the answer seems to be. Although he only saw her with the one drink, he can’t be sure she hasn’t had more. She seems clear-headed and steady on her feet but she’s also surprisingly brazen in a way he hasn’t seen… Well, since that night in the bathroom.

“He’ll be home soon.” And Rio doesn’t really care. In fact, he would love to see the look on Dean’s face when he walks into his house to find his wife isn’t alone but he knows he should bring it up.

“My bedroom door has a lock.”

“Elizabeth,” he warns. It’s hard to read her intentions. Her face is shockingly blank, deliberately even, and it doesn’t escape him how hypocritical it is to be frustrated by something he himself does quite often.

She pulls another glass as well as a bottle of bourbon from the cupboard. Picking up the glass she had just been using, she shrugs. “I just don’t want to drink alone.”

Without waiting for any kind of response, Beth heads towards her bedroom. Rio doesn’t even contemplate it - he knows it’s pointless - and follows on behind her. He goes slowly so when he arrives at her door, she’s already sat on the bed. As he steps inside the room, he closes the door behind him and locks the door.

She’s sat crossed legged with her back against the headboard. She’s pouring bourbon into one of the glasses. Rio quickly kicks his shoes off and sits on the bed. He’s sat directly across from her, his legs crossed as well and he’s so close to her that their knees press together. She hands him the glass before filling the other one and setting the bottle down on the bedside table.

“Why’d you ask about the girls under the age of twenty-five with no curves?”

Beth takes a slow sip. “I think he has a type.”

“They were all like that?”

Beth shrugs and looks oddly indifferent. “Pretty much.” He goes to open his mouth again but she waves him off. “Nope. Every question you ask, you’ve got to drink.”

It seems juvenile but he’s also intrigued. “You gotta play as well.”

Beth takes a drink before repeating her earlier question. “Are they all irresistible?”

“Nah, depends on the individual,” he tells her honestly before taking a drink. “The opposite of you, huh?”

“They were just warm bodies apparently.” She shrugs and takes a drink. “But it’s hard not to notice that they’re everything I’m not. The good and the bad.”

“It’s all about perception, sweetheart,” Rio says as he looks her over.

Beth sips at the bourbon. “And what’s your perception?”

“That your husband is an idiot.”

She laughs at that. “No kidding.”

“You see, everyone has bad things about them.” Beth looks at him then, face serious. He notes the way her eyes search his face and so he pushes on. “There’s always gonna be something you hate about a person. We got plenty of reason to hate each other and yet here we are like a pair of teenagers, drinking and asking twenty questions.”

Beth’s face softens and she settles her glass on the bedside table, doing the same with Rio’s as he hands it over. “Go on.”

“You take the bad with the good, right? Because doing anything else is unthinkable but you see, that husband of yours, he’s got this vision in his head of what his life should be.”

Beth gives him a quizzical look as she settles her hands on her knees. “And how do his child brides fit into this?”

“Sleeping with them makes him feel young and desirable,” Rio says as if it’s simple. The fact that her eyes dart away for a moment tells him that she’s considered as much herself. “I’m sure it’s also so he can focus on himself. If he’s with you, he’s gotta think about what you want.”

“I don’t think Dean knows how to think about anyone other than himself.” The way she rolls her eyes a little as she says it makes Rio smile. That anger and her fed up attitude are only positives. She looks at him then, narrowing her eyes a little. “Then why keep me around? Why fight to get me back?”

Rio knows exactly why he would fight to get her back but he’s also fairly confident that his reasoning wouldn’t even begin to cross Dean’s mind. “Because you, those kids too, are his image. You make him look good, admirable. And he gets to be the hero by providing for his family.”

“He loves our kids.”

“I don’t doubt it.”

And Rio means it. There’s a lot that he’s been able to deduce about Dean but he has very little to go on when it comes to his kids although he suspects he must love them. Rio has seen Beth’s more vicious side come out and there’s no way in hell she would let Dean stay around her kids if he didn’t love them. It didn’t take much for Rio to realise that Beth would move heaven and earth for her kids and doing anything to them is a sure fire way to put yourself under her wrath.

It’s her fingertips against his knee that catches Rio’s attention first. He watches as her finger draws slow, lazy circles and when he glances up at her, she’s lost in thought. She’s chewing a little on her bottom lip as her eyes follow the movements of her finger but it’s clear that she’s not really seeing it.

“Can I be honest with you?” Beth asks, glancing up at him, her finger still drawing patterns.

She’s impossible to read. “If you want to be.”

There’s some hesitation and he’s sure she’s going to back down from whatever it is she needs to say but then her finger stills and presses down gently. “You left a hole in my life.” Rio gives her an impassive look. He knows what that’s like. Although he might not admit it out loud, he felt that hole in his life as well, but he isn’t going to give her anything, he wants her to keep talking. She lets out a breath. “I’m saying I’m back in.”

That makes him smile and as soon as she spots it, she begins to smile as well. “Yeah?”

She nods. “Yeah.”

Before either of them can say anything more or fully relish in the change of events, Dean’s voice comes out of nowhere, calling out for Beth. A shudder seems to roll through her before she tenses up. With a heavy sigh, she looks towards her bedroom door as it begins to rattle.

“Beth? You in there?”

“Yeah! Just a minute!”

Rio gets up from the bed first. Once Beth is up, she opens up the draw in her bedside table and places the glasses inside, hiding the bottle between the table and the bed. When she straightens up, she runs her hands through her hair.

“What you gonna do?” Rio asks as he slips his shoes back on.

She looks over her shoulder at him. “I’m gonna figure it out.”

Rio gives her one last look as she heads to her bedroom door. By the time she reaches it and turns the lock, he’s already stepped out of the other doors and slipped away from the house, pushing down the temptation to stick around and see what happens next.


	4. A Business Proposition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rio wants to talk business and Beth gets the ball rolling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh, I'm so sorry, I really didn't expect it to take this long to post. I wasn't originally planning to have all of this in one chapter so it caused a couple of hitches to my writing process. That being said, thank you for the lovely support so far and I hope you all enjoy the chapter!

When Rio arrives at Boland Motors the next morning he attracts the attention of a couple of employees but he’s quickly able to wave them off, offering up an excuse of simply looking, promising to come straight over if he has any questions whatsoever. There are a few customers floating around, so no one tries to talk him into anything and he only ever pauses to talk with a woman sitting behind what looks to be some kind of reception desk and asks if Mrs Boland is in today.

“Do you have an appointment?”

“I don’t,” Rio admits. “I’m happy to wait for her, I’m just not sure if she’s in? I know her sister and she’s aware that I’m supposed to be dropping by this morning but I’m a little early and Annie said she’s not always in before her kids go to school.”

The woman seems to believe him because she just offers up a smile and nods a little. “She’s actually back in one of our offices.” There’s a brief motion in the general direction of it. “She shouldn’t be too much longer but I can ring through and let her know you’re here.”

“No, no, don’t ring her.” Rio smiles. “I’ll take a look around while I wait. Like I said, she's expecting to me, just not right this second.”

“Well, just let me know if you need anything else.”

“I will, thanks.” He winks at her for good measure and gets the resulting blush he’s looking for.

For a few moments, he wanders around the showroom and when the coast is clear, he walks swiftly away from it to find Beth. Normally he would just stride right in, not even bothering to ask anyone especially considering he already knows that she’s in and it’s Dean’s day to start late. But Rio also needs for this to go smoothly. It’s only been a few hours since she decided she wants back in and even he can recognise his shitty timing.

With all of the glass walls and doors, it’s not hard to navigate where he’s going. Especially when there’s only one room with the blinds drawn. Rio knows it has to be her and, when he reaches the office, the door is open and he sees her inside. He leans against the frame, arms folded over his chest as he watches Beth who sits behind the desk. She’s looking over some papers that are scattered across it. She looks like a natural and he remembers Ruby saying that Beth simply hovers and maintains. It doesn’t sit well with him. She looks too good behind that desk, too at ease to simply be pushed to the background. It makes him eager to discuss business.

“Do you have an appointment?” Beth asks without looking up.

Rio chews a little on his bottom lip as he starts to smile. “Nah. I got a pretty good relationship with the new boss though so I’m sure she can schedule me in.”

That makes her look up. She slowly puts down the pen she’s been holding and gives him a very confused look. “Excuse me?”

He glances behind him to make sure no one is heading towards the office to speak to Beth before he steps into the room and closes the door behind him. Without waiting for any kind of invitation he takes up one of the seats across from her. She’s giving him an expectant look, waiting for him to clarifying his previous comment, but he can also see the concern in her eyes and it makes him smile.

“Relax, sweetheart.” Her eyes narrow a little and he licks his lips. “I got a business proposition.”

“Oh?” Her concern quickly turns to curiosity but there’s a hint of skepticism in her voice. “Maybe this isn’t the right time for something like that.”

For a moment he thinks it’s the horrible timing but the way her eyes dart to the door, it clicks. “He won’t be in until after he’s dropped the kids off.”

  
Beth stills looks unsure but eventually, she sighs. “Fine. What is this proposition?” He glances around the room and then back to her. “There are no cameras in here. It’s a spare office, we haven’t put them everywhere yet.”

Feeling satisfied, Rio nods a little. “Well, it was your idea really.” She results to sitting back in her seat and trying her best to keep her face blank. He can still see it in her eyes though. How she goes from intrigue to confusion, flitting back and forth between the two. “It was a stupid ass decision to just hand the money over to that husband of yours but the idea behind it was smart.”

“You…” He can see the realisation wash over her. “You want to launder money through the dealership?”

“Believe it or not, you and your lady friends are pretty hard to replace.”

Beth smiles as she chews on her bottom lip. “That so?”

“Don’t let it get to your head.” But he smiles so she knows he doesn’t really mean that. “I need a business and you have one.”

Her eyes narrow. “Is that what all of this has been about?”

“All of what?” Rio’s a little confused but he manages to keep his face straight.

“Coming back into my life… Trying to convince me to get back in.”

Rio considers her for a moment before leaning on the desk. He reaches for the pen and twirls it between his fingers. “Nah, it ain’t about that.”

“The timing is a little convenient.”

“Fifty, fifty.”

Beth blinks a few times before leaning forward. She crosses her arms, resting them on the desk. Rio pushes the pen away and props his head up on his hand, smiling at her. She searches his face, clearly trying to figure him out.

“Fifty, fifty?”

“How we’re gonna split the money.” He clocks the stunned look on her face before it quickly disappears. “I’ll provide the cars. You sell them. We split the money.”

“I don’t have any say in the business and Dean will never go for it.”

He waves her off. “Humour me for a second.”

“Alright,” she says slowly. “If I did have some say, it couldn’t just be your cars on the lot.”

“Why not?” And he’s genuinely curious to know her reasoning.

“If I put some other cars on the lot, I could use the money from those to pay the basic needs of the business. Things like the bills, more cars to sell, and the employees' paychecks. That way Boland Motors will always be up and running for you to wash your money through.” She picks up the pen and begins to chew on the end of it, lost in thought for a moment. “With the fifty, fifty split, I would only have to use some of my share and even once I give Annie and Ruby a cut, I should still have a decent amount left over.”

“And what if I want you to use your fifty and only sell my cars?”

“Then it’s a no deal.” And when Beth says it her face is unreadable but she’s staring him right in the eye and Rio knows she means it. “You only profit, right? The money you’re buying the cars with is fake so there’s no loss there. Even if you factor in what you owe your employees and the cost of manufacturing your monopoly money, I’m guessing it barely touches the sides. Not to mention what you wash through here will only be a fraction of what you’re making from all of your other businesses.”

He nods a little, not even trying to hide his smile. “That so?”

“Uh huh and I would bet part of my percentage that you’ve got a cost-effective way to make your fake money so really, I doubt you notice any loss of your fifty percent cut.” She leans back in her chair and smirks. “I’m going to lose a decent amount even if I just factor in Annie and Ruby and don’t get me wrong, they’re worth it and they’ll work for it too if they have to, but still… I deserve to keep as much of that fifty as I can get. Especially when the dealership would be my only source of income. At least for a while.”

It’s Rio’s turn to sit back in his seat and he struggles to keep his smile from turning into a full-blown grin as his eyes roam over her. She definitely looks good behind that desk. It practically radiates off of her.

“Damn, mama,” he says slowly. “Always knew you had it in you.”

She looks proud of herself but in the end, she simply shrugs. “But it’s all hypothetical, I told you, Dean won’t even consider it.”

“I ain’t here to deal with him,” Rio points out. “I told you. I’m here to talk to the new boss.” She frowns. “You didn’t notice, huh?”

“Notice what?”

“That little talk you just gave, not one single time did you mention your husband. You said ‘I’ every single time, no ‘we’.”

Her brows are knitted together out of confusion. “So what?”

“You’re a boss, mama.” He licks his lips. “At least, you still got that potential.”

“Rio, I-”

“You’re gonna get him to sign over the business,” he says, effectively cutting her off.

She scoffs. “Yeah, right. He would never. This was his father’s business.”

“Then a share of it.”

Beth rolls her eyes. “Sure, okay, and how am I supposed to do that exactly?”

“He still trying to sweeten things over with you?”

“A little,” she admits although she sounds reluctant to share the details, clearly skeptical of where this might be going. “He knows I’m not going anywhere thanks to his little ultimatum but he’s still trying to get things back to normal. Back to sharing a bed and everything else.” She shudders a little. “I haven’t brought up the new round of cheating yet.”

“Don’t.” He can’t help but laugh a little at the surprised look on her face. “Convince him that by signing over the majority of the business, it could… sway your opinion of him, make you trust him again.”

Beth seems to mull it over, looking up at the ceiling as she settles more into her chair. She wheels it around a little so she’s facing to the side, away from him. “Say I agree to this and it does actually work… Does fifty, fifty mean we’re equal?”

“Equal enough.” But then she rolls her head to the side so she can glare at him and Rio rolls his eyes a little. “Partners, alright? But _I_ handle the supply, _you_ sell it. You mess that up, it’s on you.”

“I can live with that,” Beth muses as she goes back to looking up at the ceiling. “You must be really desperate though.”

“Maybe a little,” Rio admits. “Or maybe I just know when something is too good to pass up. And you,” his eyes roam over her as he chews on his bottom lip, “definitely shouldn’t be overlooked.”

Although she doesn’t turn to face him, he can see her cheeks start to turn a subtle shade of pink and he grins. Without a word, he gets up from his seat and wanders over to the door. As he opens it, he glances back at her. She still isn’t facing him.

“Gonna need you to figure it out quick though.” She waves her hand at that, signaling her understanding. “Call me when it’s done.”

* * *

That night, Beth decided that there would be no better (and really no worse) time to talk to Dean. At least she could get the ball rolling. While Rio had left her with no time frame, she didn’t want to waste a second in case her time ran out and he moved on to other things. She had to admit, she missed it more than she originally thought. It felt like a part of her was missing when she had to step away from crime, from _him_. But even she had grossly downplayed the effect it had all had one her.

When closing time rolled out, she left promptly. As she arrives home, the house is dimly lit and quiet. She finds Dean on the couch by the kitchen watching something on TV. There’s a brief hello exchanged between them but he’s too engaged. It gives her one more chance to go over what she plans to say in her head as she wanders into the kitchen and pours herself a coffee. Earlier she had organised a takeaway for Dean and the kids so that he wouldn’t need to do dinner, hopefully making him a little less stressed than usual, and the containers are stacked up neatly on the side. 

“Hey, Dean?” Nothing. “ _Dean_.”

The TV goes silent and there’s the sound of movement. When turns back around, Dean has approached the island counter. She stays across from him, looking over the brim of her cup as she sips her coffee.

“You’re home prompt,” he says as if he’s only just registered the fact that she’s back. “What’s going on?”

“Well, I had been thinking today.” She offers up a smile. “And I would have mentioned it while you were at work but I thought it would be better to discuss it here…”

His face drops and she tries not to smile. “Discuss what?”

“I’ve noticed that you’ve really been trying lately… With me.” His face perks up a little and she hides her face behind her cup. “But there’s just one thing I’m still scared about.”

“What’s that?”

Beth can hear it in his voice, how eager he is to know what it is so he can fix it. “Well, it’s the money. You did get us into some pretty serious debt and I can’t risk three unpaid mortgages _again_.”

“I said I was sorry for that, Bethie, I-”

“I know, I know,” she says quickly, cutting him off. “That’s why I thought if I had some guarantee then I wouldn’t have this weight because I really think it’s the only thing holding us back.”

“What kind of guarantee?” His brows knit together but it’s clear he’s already considering whatever it is she has to say.

“I want some say in Boland Motors.” Dean blinks at her a few times in surprise. “I know I don’t know much about cars but if I have some say then I know, that no matter what, I’ll have income for the kids. And after your ultimatum, which I absolutely understand, it’ll show that we can trust each other again.”

He’s unreadable. “What were you thinking exactly?”

“Co-ownership,” Beth says simply. “Maybe majority in my name? Only just, mind you. Even like a fifty-five to forty split, I don’t know.” She gives a little helpless shrug. “I just hate how worried I get over money and providing for our children.” She deliberately made her voice go a little high pitched and wills herself to look as scared as possible. “I do want to trust it won’t happen again but Dean, I can’t move forward while I feel so… _Worried._ This way I’ll be in the loop for major decisions and I’ll just have to sign my name for everything to go through.”

He mulls it over, his focus shifting to a far off spot, and Beth holds her breath. In her suggested scenario, Beth wouldn’t need Dean’s sign off on anything which is exactly what she needs to make her new business dealings with Rio successful. “Sure.” And she lets out her breath. “We’ll get it drawn up and made official.”

She bats her eyelashes just a tad and gives him a hopeful smile. “Really?”

“Yeah, Bethie.” He nods. “It’ll help, right?”

She places her hand over her chest and takes a steady breath. “I really think so. Actually, as a thank you, why don’t we both take a half day on Saturday? You can go out and have some fun, see your old high school buddies, I know you haven’t for a while and I’ll stay home with the kids. I’ll even make that pasta dish you like so much.”

“That would be… Really nice. Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.” Beth turns away to pour him some coffee and slides it over to him. Saturday is her day anyway, the kids have a lot of activities on so she normally works even fewer hours than her usual shorter days. It’s really no skin off her back to take more time off work and to have Dean out of the house for a while. “We put the staff through all of that training so we could take time off every once in a while.”

He takes a drink of his coffee. “Maybe next time we could spend our time off together?”

“Yeah, maybe.” And she throws in a smile to suggest that it’s really more of a yes than a maybe. “You should finish your show. I ate at work so I’ll probably just shower and go to bed. Maybe read a book. I’ll see you in the morning or at work.”

Dean nods a little before carrying his cup back over to the couch. As Beth walks towards her bedroom, she tries to hide the slight spring in her step. Tomorrow she’ll get the paperwork ready so he can’t wriggle out of it because knowing Dean, he absolutely will try, and the papers should be signed in no time. It is progress nonetheless and while it sits in the back of her mind that Rio only wants her back for business purposes and that the fifty, fifty split was only a way to sweeten her up, she’s more than a little ecstatic to get back to work with him.

* * *

After she saw the papers and both she and Dean had signed their names, Beth had texted Rio to meet her on Saturday at her place. When it rolls around, she busies herself as much as possible, going about her usual routine. Dean leaves relatively early to meet up with his friends, hoping to make the most of his evening. The kids are at their Saturday actives and Beth has managed to rope Annie into picking them all up and taking them back to hers, promising to bring takeaway to make up for it. She’s planned it all perfectly so she’s home alone with no fear of being disturbed.

Almost a full minute before the time she’s expecting him, Rio walks through the side door with no warning. He’s got his hands in the pockets of his hoody and he approaches the side of the island counter, watching her. She’s leaning back against the counter, in the corner.

“Prompt as ever.”

He smiles at that, pulling a hand from his pocket to push his hood down. “I actually got here about ten minutes ago. Didn’t want to appear too eager.”

“First time for everything.”

Rio narrows his eyes a little but it’s hard not to notice the way the corners of his mouth tug up. “How’d it go?”

Beth shrugs a little but it’s impossible to hide her smile. “Everything is signed. I’m just waiting for it to be authenticated and made final. I don’t want him worming his way out of it.”

“You think he would?”

“I wouldn’t put it past him.” She sighs and motions to the coffee pot but Rio shakes his head no. She pours herself some. “I don’t think anything he could do would surprise me.”

Rio considers that for a moment before he makes his way over to her. She casually sips at her coffee, eyes on him the entire time. He only stops when he’s right in front of her and he places one hand on the counter beside her, effectively caging her in.

“And what did you get?”

“Sixty,” Beth says.

Rio licks his lips as his smile threatens to grow. “And he was just okay with that?”

“I did what you said. I played up an act of sorts,” she admits. “Told him that finances were the only thing I worried about and if I had some control over those, I wouldn’t worry anymore and he and I could really start to move on.”

“That so?”

She has to put her coffee down because suddenly Rio’s knee is between her legs, pinning her in place. It takes a bit of effort - the erratic beating of her heart isn’t helping - but she manages to keep her face relatively straight.

“That’s so.” After a split second of consideration, Beth gently places her hand against his chest. As her fingers gently drum against him, she looks up at him. He’s almost completely unreadable except for the fact that his lips have parted a little and she’s pretty sure that his eyes are on her lips. “Next time he and I take a half day like this we might spend it together.”

Rio’s eyes snap up to her's and she does a terrible job of hiding her smile. He narrows his eyes a little at her before placing his hands on her hips. She sucks in a breath as his hands slowly move until he’s able to grip her properly and hoist her up to sit on the counter. He’s between her legs and one hand is on her thigh while the other is at the back of her head, tangling itself in her hair. She barely has time register it all before he’s tugging gently and forcing her head to tip back slightly.

He presses a kiss to her neck. “And does carman really have a chance?”

“How can you ask me that?” He simply bites down on the same spot of her neck. She gasps. “ _No_.”

He swipes his tongue over the bite. _“_ And the next time you both take time off work?”

“I would rather spend it with literally anyone else.”

Rio smiles against her neck as he lays sporadic, soft kisses there. “No one specific?”

Beth’s eyes flutter shut as he switches randomly between gently kissing and sucking at her neck. Occasionally, he’ll nip at her skin and each time it makes her gasp. Every time she feels a split second of embarrassment before becoming engulfed in how good it all feels. Her hands find their way to his chest, gripping his shirt tightly in her hands. She doesn’t want him to stop but that’s exactly when he does.

Rio pulls away to look at her, releasing his grip on her hair. He looks her right in the eye, his tongue running out over his bottom lip. He raises a brow and it takes her a second to realise that he wants an answer to his previous question.

“Why?” Her voice comes out a little shaky and she has to let out a slow breath. “You offering or something?”

He leans in so that his lips are hovering close to hers. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

“Oh, _God!_ ” Beth instantly pushes Rio away at the sound of Ruby’s voice. When she looks over, Ruby is already turning around. “Upstairs, kids! Help your sister find what she’s looking for. Go! Go! Go!”

She quickly slips off the counter before Annie or the kids can look up. They’re too busy taking their shoes and coats off by the front door. Beth takes a deep breath as she realises that none of them saw a thing. It helps that Ruby is standing in the way, as they all rush over the stairs and disappear upstairs.

Beth and Rio are standing side by side, both leaning back against the counter. She glares at him when she clocks that signature smirk of his but it had no effect on him before Ruby turns back around, Annie coming up beside her.

“What are you guys doing here? I said I would meet you at Annie’s,” Beth says as she tries to look as innocent as possible.

“I know, I know,” Annie agrees. “But Jane was getting a little sleepy and she wanted her Dubby just in case they had to sleep over and your place is much bigger than my apartment.”

Beth lets out a breath. “Yeah, she’s not allowed to take it with her, I was going to bring it with me later. I just had some things to deal with first.”

“Dubby?” Rio whispers as he leans a little towards her.

“My daughter’s blanket.”

Ruby looks between the pair of them. “Yeah, I saw what you had to deal with.”

“It’s not…” But Beth trails off with a sigh. What could she say? It would be different if they hadn’t been caught so close together. There was no way she was going to be able to come up with the right kind of excuses.

“Did I miss something?” Annie asks, looking between them all. “You sent the kids upstairs pretty quickly.”

“I think your sister is definitely moving on from Dean.”

“You are?” She looks to Beth and then back to Ruby. “She is? With who-” Her eyes settle on Rio and her mouth hangs open for a second before darting back to Beth. “ _Wow._ ”

“Don’t _wow_ me.” Beth elbows Rio’s side when he starts to laugh and promptly ignores the glare she receives. “It was you two that told him everything and practically sent him my way.”

“Because we wanted you to leave Dean and not feel so miserable anymore,” Ruby counters. “We didn’t think that meant,” she motions in Rio’s general direction, “you know.”

Annie shrugs a little. “I mean, _wow_ just because I’m usually the one to do shit like this.”

“Seriously?” Ruby questions.

“Oh, no, you’re right. It’s also a shitty idea, just a surprising one too.”

“Is this my time to leave?” Rio asks but he looks amused and still has his eyes on Annie and Ruby.

“You’re not going anywhere.” Beth sighs. “The four of us need to chat.”

Annie raises a brow. “About this?”

Beth rolls her eyes a little. “No, not about this.”

“Really?” Annie follows up. “Because we probably should.”

“It’s nothing,” Beth argues. “A one-time thing and it won’t happen again.”

“His face says differently,” Ruby points out and for the first time, she looks a little amused.

Beth turns and smacks Rio’s chest. “You’re not helping.”

“Come on, ma.” He looks her up and down, his tongue running along his bottom lip. “How’d you expect me to keep so quiet?”

“So, it’s not a one-time thing? Or it will happen again?” Annie enquires. “Or both?”

“We need to talk business,” Beth interjects before any of them can say anything further. She turns away from Rio. “There is nothing happening here for anyone to be concerned about but there are some pressing matters that we need to discuss.”

“We’re not dropping this,” Ruby warns. “But the fact there’s even any business to talk about is worrying me.”

“I got Dean to agree to sign over most of Boland Motors.” Both Annie and Ruby stare at her for a long while and Beth pushes off the counter to approach the island. “I did it because Rio and I are going to wash cash through the dealership. Fifty, fifty split. Although, some of mine is for you guys.”

“We get a share?” Annie asks.

Beth nods. “I’d appreciate you both helping from time to time, even if that’s just with the more… _legal_ stuff at the dealership.”

“You’re really going back? Ruby questions her eyes flitting to Rio for a brief moment. “After everything?”

“I have to,” Beth says. “Dean is still cheating and you were all right… I’m miserable. You should see the amount of bourbon I’ve bought these last few months. And I love my kids, I do, but I need something else too.”

“And if we don’t get back in?” Ruby asks.

Beth shrugs. “You still get some of my cut.”

“I’m in,” Annie decides. “But does Dean know?”

She shakes her head. “I made him think it was to put my mind at ease. He thinks he’s got a shot of going back to the way things used to be. I’ll have to tell him at some point but by then I won’t need his permission to do it.”

“He could go to the FBI,” Annie points out.

“Let him try,” Rio says for the first time as he steps forward to stand beside Beth. “He’s got a lot of shit to worry about as well.”

“Sis, I’m all for you reclaiming your life again but are you sure about this?”

“What have I got to lose?” Beth asks honestly before looking to Ruby. “But this is all on me. I chose to go back and I don’t speak for all of us.”

“Girl, you already know I’m back in.”  
  
“Thank you.” And it’s a genuine relief to know that her sister and best friend would be there to back her up through it all.

Rio turns his body to face Beth who looks his way. “You let me know when it’s definitely official then we’ll hash out the minor details.”

“You’ll be my first call.”

“Good.” As he goes to move past her, he leans in so close that his lips are near her ear. “Maybe we can plan that half day at the same time, yeah?”

Beth can already feel herself blushing and it only deepens when she catches his smile. His hand touches her waist, only slipping away as he finally moves past her to reach the door. It takes her a moment before she can look forward again and when she does, Annie and Ruby are staring at her in disbelief.

“No wonder you were so miserable,” Annie remarks.

“Please, don’t,” Beth practically begs.

There’s a pause and to all of their surprise, it’s Ruby that speaks up next. “How was it?”

Beth stared at her open-mouthed. She kind of expected it from her sister but Ruby had seemed so shocked, maybe even angry at the idea of her and Rio being up to anything. “Nothing happened.”

“Maybe not tonight,” Ruby agrees. “But something’s clearly happened.”

“I mean, we’re not blind,” Annie adds. “You could never hide that sexual tension.”

“I’m begging you both to stop,” Beth groans but it’s clear that neither of them plans to back down any time soon. She tries to hold out as best as she can but they both just keep looking at her expectantly. “It was _one_ time, okay? Right before he took the money back. I didn’t say anything because of the Dean situation and I was sure we would never see Rio again.”

“And you’re picking back up where you left off?” Annie asks.

“I… I don’t know,” Beth admits. “It really was just a one-time thing. I think he only got me to come back because we were good at washing his cash.”

“Oh, it’s more than just business,” Ruby chimes in.

“Definitely,” Annie agrees. “He was way too interested in your life and the current state of it clearly got to him.”

“Boy was pissed.”

Beth’s eyes settled on Ruby, her words washing over. Pissed? She had to admit that while he had been a little persistent with getting her back into crime, he had also been interested in other things. _“It ain’t the marriage.”_ His words came back to her, forcing her mind to race with possibilities but she shook her head. Nothing was going to happen. It couldn’t. She and Rio had too much history. She had meant it when she said she didn’t trust him and he had said it himself, they both had plenty of reasons to still hate each other.

“It doesn’t sound like the kids are going to come back down just yet,” Beth finally says. “Why don't we have a drink and order some takeaway before they come down screaming for food?”

“Food and alcohol, the two things that fuel me,” Annie says, already heading for the living room.

Beth and Ruby follow on behind her, the former looking forward to a distracting night. She was going to push talk of Rio and business from her mind for now. Only as they settle on the couch, Ruby looks at her and says, “So, was it good?”

Beth just groans and almost downs the glass of bourbon that Annie passes to her.


	5. Confrontations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beth confronts Dean.

It didn’t take long for everything to be authenticated. Beth had gone through channels that were completely unconnected to Dean and that she could be sure he wouldn’t be able to touch. She told Rio as soon as it became official that she had 60% of Boland Motors in her name and he told her to lay low for about a week while he moved some things around to accommodate for washing cash through the dealership.

By the time Thursday night rolls around Beth knows that she has to say something to Dean. She knows Rio well enough to figure that he’ll probably show up at the dealership at some point and while seeing Dean’s flustered reaction would be fun, she also doesn’t want to deal with the drama of it all. So, after a busy day at work, she arrives home and goes straight to pour herself a glass of bourbon. She finishes most of it before topping her glass up and again.

Dean is sat at the island counter, tucking into some leftover cake. He looks up when she moves to stand across from him and he eyes the glass of bourbon in her hands.

“Tough day?” He clocks her quizzical look. “You look a little tense.”

“No, it was, uh, good.” She clears her throat a little. “I just need to talk to you about something.”

He shoves another piece of cake into his mouth and takes a moment to eat it. “I’m all ears.”

She gently places her nearly empty glass on the counter and decides it’s probably best to just rip the bandaid off. “Rio is back.”

Dean stills. “How long?”

“I only found out recently.”

“What does he want?”

Beth chews gently on her bottom lip. “He had a business proposition.”

“And you said no, right?” Dean asks as he puts his fork on his plate and pushes it away. “Or better yet, you called the cops?”

“Not exactly.”

He gives her a look like he was expecting it but wishes he had been wrong. “Oh, Bethie, tell me you didn’t?”

She inwardly cringes at the nickname but does her best to keep her reaction contained. “I mean, we have had to make some cutbacks lately and he’s just going to provide us with some cars to sell. It’s going to boost our income.”

“No, Bethie, we can’t do it.” He’s flustered now, Beth can see it in the way his words come out a little too quickly and his hands are flailing around in an attempt to add emphasis to his words. “I… I won’t allow it.” 

“Well, 60% of Boland Motors is mine so…” She shrugs and pouts a little. “You don’t really get a say.”

Dean gapes at her. “ _That’s_ why you wanted me to sign it over?”

Beth doesn’t give a straight answer to that. “Look, I do think it’ll help us, in the long run, to be on better terms and to work together to co-parent our children but Dean, did you really think we would get back together?”

“You manipulated me!” And he even has the audacity to look offended.

“Maybe,” Beth agrees, eyes narrowing. “But you put that business in bad shape _twice._ You can’t be trusted with money and even if Rio didn’t come back, I still would have done this because now I have a safety net for _our_ children. I mean, are you telling me you wouldn’t have stopped me working there if we got divorced?”

Dean doesn’t say anything for a moment and that in itself is enough of an answer. “Say I understand that, whether we get back together or not, _why_ work for him again?”

“We’re going to be working _together_ ,” Beth counters. “And it’s a good business decision.”

“I wouldn’t call that good,” he retorts. “Or smart while we’re at it.”

“You wouldn’t know smart business if it walked right up to you and slapped you in the face,” Beth shoots back.

Dean sands up from his stool and places his hands on the counter. She can see the tension in his shoulders, how angry the whole thing is making him despite his attempts to hold it in. “You’re so blinded by him, Bethie. He’s a criminal and he’s going to get us into some serious trouble. Hell, he’s already shot me.”

She tries to remain calm but her voice gets a little louder. “Which you love to bring up every chance you get!”

“I just want to understand why you would willingly work with a man like that?” Dean sighs in frustration before his voice takes on an almost condescending tone. “There’s plenty of ways to boost business. We- _You_ don’t need him in order to-”

“It’s because I’m miserable!” she snaps, effectively cutting him off. Dean just stares at her and Beth’s chest is practically heaving as she tries to control her breathing. She can feel the anger radiating throughout her. “And you haven’t even noticed. I drink more. I cry an embarrassing amount.”

“Then talk to me,” Dean says, voice soft. “We can figure something out.”

“I don’t want to be here.” She runs a hand over her face before correcting herself a little. “I want to be here with my children but I don't want to be here with you. I’ve never wanted that, you forced my hand. And you know what? You don’t want to be here either so what’s the point in all of this?”

Dean blinks at her. “What… Of course, I want to be here!”

“So that’s why you’ve been screwing that brunette when you’re staying late at the dealership?” Dean gapes at her and she can practically see the cogs turning as he tries to figure out what to say to that. “I really don’t care because you can sleep with whoever you want. What I do care about is that you make this big show of wanting me back and give me a damn ultimatum only to still carry on with other people in secret. Things will never change Dean and we will never be us again.”

Without waiting for his response, Beth breezes past him and heads towards her bedroom. When she gets there, she locks the door behind her and collapses onto the bed. She’s already fed up with the whole thing. There’s no way Dean is going to take any of it lying down and she’s fairly confident that Rio will deliberately turn his filter off around Dean just to rile him up a little. She can already feel the headache forming and she groans into her bedspread.

* * *

When Beth woke up the next morning, Dean had already left for work. By the time she got there, he was wandering around the lot talking to potential customers. Beth deliberately kept a wide berth as she headed straight inside to put her coat and bag away. She then spent a good portion of the morning inside the showroom talking to customers and engaging with the employees, anything to stay away from Dean. She could only imagine that he was going to be angry and she really didn’t want to have to put up with his sulking.

Eventually, the showroom got quieter and her work generally slowed down so she decided to wander outside for something to do. It didn’t take much to spot where Dean was standing and she deliberately moved to the opposite end of the lot. When she got to the edge of it, she stood, looking out as customers and employees moved between the cars.

“So, we should be up and running by Monday.”

Beth jumps at the sound of Rio’s voice but manages to hold in her scream. She looks over her shoulder to glare at him. He’s standing almost directly behind her and he’s grinning. His hands are tucked into the pockets of his jeans and he’s rocking back on his heels as he looks out over the lot.

“What are you doing here?” she asks as she faces forward again.

“Checking in on the business before things get started properly.”

“You really shouldn’t be here.”

“And why’s that?” She can still hear the amusement in his voice although it does seem to be a little toned down.

“I told Dean you were back and that we were going to work together again.”

Rio actually laughs at that. “How’d he take it?”

“Not well but I finally got to throw that brunette back in his face.”

“It really bothers you, huh?”

“It bothers me that he claims to want me back and is still sleeping with younger women,” Beth retorts. “It bothers me that I was forced back when he doesn’t really want me anyway.”

“And you don’t want him, right?”

“No.” And she tries to bite back the anger because how could he ask that? They’ve already had this conversation before but then, she had been the one to let Dean stick around for so long so really, who was she to blame? But she stops herself then and decides that actually, Dean is really the one to blame. He somehow always found a way to worm himself back in and maybe she could have been more vigilant but he got away with his behaviour one too many times.

Rio is stood beside her now. She chances a look at him and he’s watching her carefully. “You sure about that?”

“I’ve been sure about that for a long time,” Beth says firmly.

“Good,” he says, looking back towards the lot.

He slowly edges over so that he’s stood behind her. A moment later Beth feels his hand against her lower back. She stares straight ahead, not wanting to give anything away. His fingers trail up her back, sending shivers down her spine. When he reaches her shoulders, he gently moves her hair to one side before running a finger over her shoulder and up her neck. She bites her lip as his knuckle grazes that particular spot on her neck that he had favoured that night at the bar.

“Rio,” she warns because she’s very aware of how public it is.

Although he does remove his hand, he doesn’t step away. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

“This isn’t the place.”

“I’m sure there’s a decent bathroom around here somewhere.”

Beth can practically hear the smile on his face and it makes her want to whip around and hit him but she forces herself to remain still. “That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

“I’m always happy to hear what other ideas you have.” He leans forward, his lips by her ear. “You know, the bathroom was a surprise.”

Although she keeps looking straight ahead, her eyes do drift to the side, following his voice. “Maybe you don’t know me as well as you thought you did.”

“Doubtful.” Rio kisses her shoulder before he straightens up. “No one would notice.” His hands are on her waist now. “You know, I walked right past him to get to that bathroom and he didn’t bat an eye.”

“We can’t.” But she can feel herself slipping a little.

One of Rio’s hands begins to move, skimming across her stomach as his arm wraps around her waist. He kisses her shoulder once again before releasing her. “Fair enough. Just let me know when you’re up for another bathroom break.”

It’s not that Beth doesn’t want to because she’s certainly thought about it on more than one occasion but she’s not quite ready to let herself fall that far just yet. As he steps away from her, Beth finds herself annoyed at how much his absence affects her already. She turns swiftly on her heel and reaches out for his hand before he can get too far. He looks down at their hands and then up to her face, brow raised.

“We can’t do _that_ again.”

Beth gives him a pointed look but before she can release his hand, Rio grips her’s tight. He takes a step towards her and slowly lifts her hand. He looks her right in the eye as he kisses the back of it. That signature smirk makes an appearance as she blushes.

“You know what, Ma?” Rio asks as he drops her hand. “I forgot how much fun working with you can be.”

With that, he turns and Beth just stares at him, mouth slightly open, trying to process his words.

* * *

He comes back later that day. Beth is sat in Dean’s office organising some of the paperwork. The blinds are closed and the door is ajar, it’s the soft closing of it that alerts her to his presence and a moment later, Rio sits down across from her. It’s just after closing and normally she would be home first on a Friday but when she suggested to Dean that she stay late, he didn’t object and simply left to pick the kids up from school.

Her eyes look to Rio but she doesn’t raise her head. He’s leaning back in the chair watching her work. She looks back at the files in front of her. “Is there anything I can do for you?”

“Didn’t think you worked late on Fridays.”

“I’m sorry, am I the wrong Boland?”

He laughs at that. “Nah, just a pleasant surprise when I found out you were still gonna be here.” She sits back in her seat and looks at him. He shrugs a little. “One of my boys saw him leave earlier. Figured it would be smart to drop by after closing to talk business.”

“What’s there to discuss?”

“You’re gonna sell more of those mama vans,” he tells her. “Some will be here by the end of next week.”

She narrows her eyes at him. “Shouldn’t we have discussed that?”

“Don’t worry, Ma.” He licks his lips. “It’s only a few for now. You’ll still have your own cars on the lot and we both know you can sell those vans no problem.”

Beth watches him for a moment before nodding her head. “Alright. Dean and I haven’t changed our schedules or anything so if you want me to be here, make sure the cars are delivered on Thursday or Sunday.”

“You got it.”

“Anything else?”

He gets up and comes around to her side of the desk, she immediately stands before he can get too close. When he reaches her, he puts his hands on her hips and turns her so she’s pressed back against the desk. He rolls the office chair to one side as she twists away from him and grabs the keyboard. He watches as she logs into the security system and disables the cameras for the office. When she looks at him, she shrugs a little and feigns innocence. He licks his lips, trying not to smile as he reaches around her to push the papers to one side, knocking some onto the floor. 

Beth hoists herself up onto the desk and suddenly he closes the space between them, his lips instantly connecting with her neck. Stood between her legs, one of his hands wraps up in her hair while the other grips her hip. She clings onto him. It’s impossible for her not to moan as he begins to leave his mark. 

Her legs are wrapped around him and while she keeps telling herself that it can’t happen again, it becomes more impossible to stop. As her nails dig into the back of his neck, he hisses but it only seems to spur him on as he trails kisses before biting down on her neck. It isn’t particularly hard but it’s at just the right spot that Beth involuntarily gasps and arches her back. She can feel him smile against her skin as he kisses the same spot. Her hands search his shirt, looking for the buttons, but as soon as her fingers close in on one, her phone rings.

The two of them jump a little at the sound. She unwraps herself from him and picks the phone up from the desk. At the sight of Dean’s name, Rio shrugs and goes back to kissing her neck.

“Stop,” Beth says, squirming away from him as the phone pings.

“Ignore it.” But he does stop.

“It could be important.”

Rio rocks back, giving her some space. She listens to the voicemail that Dean left and he doesn’t sound particularly angry which is a positive although she misses parts of what he’s saying because Rio’s hands are on her thighs, slowly moving up and down them, occasionally squeezing. She bites her lip in an attempt to push down the urge to pull him back into her.

Overall, the messages aren’t exactly an emergency but still, the guilt begins to hit her. Apparently, the kids had been asking for her before they went to bed. It is her night and she can imagine how confused they would have been when she wasn’t the one to tuck them in and do the night routine. She decides then that she and Rio really couldn’t do this, especially not right now, no matter how good it felt.

“I’ve got to go,” she declares.

Rio tilts his head a little and pouts although she can see the twinkle in his eyes. “Already?”

“My duties as a mother trump whatever…” She motions between the two of them. “ _This_ is.”

“So _this_ …” He motions between them. “Is something, huh?”

Beth rolls her eyes before gets off the desk. While he has stepped back to give her more room, they’re still incredibly close. She takes a breath before looking up at him. He’s giving her that look he always does, the curious one like he’s trying to figure her out. Beth likes that look. It makes her feel like she’s not so easy to figure out. That she isn’t the boring, unintelligent person that Dean seems to think she is. A look like that makes her remember that her husband’s opinions are not the only ones in the world.

She doesn’t know what to think with Rio. The pull towards him is strong and when she’s with him it’s like everything slots into place but despite it all, she can’t help the fear that creeps up inside of her that he might leave again. No matter what happens, she won’t go back to Dean. Besides a broken heart, if Rio leaves again she’ll be left in the lurch. Boland Motors can only provide so much and she can’t imagine Dean will be an easy person to work with or be around after everything. She at least needs the business side to work for a little while until she can build herself back up again and no matter how good it feels, she can’t run the risk that what she feels for Rio might jeopardise that.

He gently touches that spot on her neck, making her shiver and effectively bringing her out of her thoughts. “You might want to cover that up.”

She can already feel her confusion grow because while she knows it’s probably best to keep things strictly business between them, that part of herself is screaming at her that she’s been pretty good at breaking the rules lately so maybe she can find a way to break this particular one without the sky falling.

“Maybe.”

Although Beth already knows she’s going to cover up whatever marks are on her neck, she shrugs like it’s no big deal. She spots that familiar twinkle in Rio’s eyes as he tries to suppress a smile. With a small, confident smile of her own, she opens up one of the desk drawers and pulls out a key which she hands to him.

“It’s a spare for the building,” she tells him as he takes it from her. “Once you’ve picked up all these papers you can lock up. Just hit the green button on the security panel by the door to set the alarm. You’ll need to be outside and the door locked within thirty seconds before the alarm blares.”

He looks her over and Beth is pretty sure that if she let him - and she finds herself considering it - he would grab her and pin her to the desk to pick up where they last left off. When she raises a brow, he smirks. “Yes, ma’am.”

With that confident little smile back again, she leaves the office, making a point not to look back at him as she does so.

* * *

There are still a couple of lights on downstairs when Beth pulls up at the house. She lets herself in the front door and listens out. She can hear the TV but it’s on low and after a moment, it goes completely silent.

“Bethie, is that you?” So he definitely isn’t mad at her although she figures that he’s probably just trying to figure out how to wriggle out of being caught with the brunette in his office.

“Yeah!” she calls out, already making her way towards her bedroom. “I’m just going to change, I’ll be in in a second.”

As soon as she’s in her bedroom, Beth shuts the door behind her and heads straight for the bathroom. She ties her hair back and begins to examine her neck in the mirror. It really isn’t that bad. Most of it is just a bit of redness and faint marks that will no doubt fade really quickly but there is one mark in particular that stands out. It sits just below the edge of her jawline, far enough back that if she let her hair down it would be covered.

She does just that and looks in the mirror again. If someone was to look particularly close, they might spot it but Dean had proven he is the most unobservant person in the entire world. For half a second, she considers just letting it be but in the end, she reaches for her make-up and puts a little bit over it just to dampen the vibrancy. Once she’s done, Beth realises that she’s smiling.

By the time she changes into her pajamas, puts on her dressing gown, and makes her way through the house, the TV is no longer on and Dean is in the kitchen. There’s a mug of coffee waiting for her at the island counter so she sits down and takes it. He smiles at her before grabbing a plate from the oven and placing it, along with a fork, on the counter before her.

“Thanks,” she says as she takes the cover off to reveal the lasagna she had made that morning. “Did the kids eat it all?”

“Most of it,” Dean says, leaning back against the counter by the sink. “I did put a little too much on their plates though.”

“Well, that’s alright then.”

“How was the dealership?”

Beth eats quietly for a few moments. At first, she thought that maybe he really was trying to make up with her or at least soften her up so he could try again to worm his way back in but the way his jaw is slightly tense gives him away. He’s so transparent and she isn’t entirely sure that she wants to sit and deal with it.

“It was good.”

“Was _he_ there?”

She wants to roll her eyes at the fact that Dean still can’t say his name but instead she just puts more food in her mouth and eats. “He was. I left before him actually.”

“Wait, you let him close up?”

“He has keys,” Beth says before drinking some of her coffee.

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” Dean argues. “I mean, why would you give a man like that a set of keys?”

“It’s not like he knows all of the security details or the combination to any of the safes,” Beth says, waving him off. “It’s just to let him out of the building if he sticks around. He can’t even let himself in otherwise the alarms will go off.”

Dean seems to think about that for a moment before he reluctantly backs down. “What was he doing there so late anyway?”

“To let me know he’s got some cars coming in soon,” Beth explains. “He just wanted to let me know and see how things are going.”

“I still can’t believe he’s involved.”

Although he doesn’t say it, Beth knows he blames her. Not that it bothers her. Dean is always so quick to blame other people but could never do the same to himself. It was just getting tiresome. Working with Rio in the past hadn’t always led to the best situations but it’s hard to ignore that they - as well as Annie and Ruby - needed the cash and Rio could provide that for them. She wants to laugh because it hits her that Rio being the one to do it is what bothers Dean, he hates that he can’t provide as well.

Beth nods her head a little as if she’s listening to him before going back to her food. She keeps her focus on it and her coffee in the hopes that Dean won’t expect an answer. A second later she feels stupid for even questioning it because while she sits there quietly and eats, Dean goes off on a rant about Rio as if Beth is hanging on his every word.

* * *

It’s nearly five in the morning and Beth is lying in bed, her phone pressed to her ear as she rings Rio. It’s been on her mind all night. The way Dean ranted to her as if she would ever side with him and how he had been acting like everything was okay because she knew damn well he was only acting like that because he thought she would come around to his way of thinking. He couldn’t that she wasn’t going to stop working with Rio or walk away again. He hadn’t made threats yet but it was only a matter of time and while how she felt around Rio might continue to confuse her, she could at least start to deal with Dean.

Rio picks up on the third ring and his voice is groggy. “Elizabeth?”

“Hey, sorry for waking you.”

He clears his throat a little. “It’s fine. What is it?”

“I need your help with something.”

There’s a pause.

“Go on.”

She can practically hear the smirk in his voice and she rolls her eyes. “With Dean.”

“I need a gun? Promise I’ll hit something more vital this time.”

“No! Nothing like that.” She climbs out of bed but even she can’t stop herself from smiling. “I think he still believes that I’ll come around and see the light. And if you’re going to be around the dealership and the cars are coming in soon, I think he needs to realise that this is it.” She takes his silence as a sign to continue. “I think if you’re here with me when I speak to him, he won’t try to wriggle out of it and change the conversation. He needs to understand that what he and I had is over and that you’re here for good.”

“You just want me to intimidate him.”

“Well, that would certainly help,” she admits, feeling a little nervous suddenly. “But honestly, I think he still believes that you’re taking advantage, that you must have tricked me or something. If he sees us as a united front…”

“I was kidding, Ma.” He laughs a little. “When do you need me?”

“Now? I want to get it over with and the kids won’t be up just yet so there’s time before he goes to work and I have to get them sorted.”

There’s another lengthy pause and she figures that maybe he’s going to change his mind.

“Sure. Try not to cause too much trouble until I get there.”

Beth can’t stop her smile as they hang up. She tosses her phone onto the bed and after a quick shower, she pulls on a pair of jeans and a purple turtleneck to help cover up the mark on her neck. She’s sure if he notices it, it’ll drive home the message but she doesn’t want to run the risk that he’ll grow a backbone and retaliate.

It’s still early enough but she can already hear Dean fussing around in the kitchen. While she’s sure she’s capable of setting things straight with him on her own and making sure he gets where things stand, she’s tired. She knows that he won’t be able to argue with Rio standing there and she has to admit the there’s a double motive behind asking him to come. He will be able to help in proving to Dean that he doesn’t have a leg to stand on but if she and Rio can be a united front, she’s sure it’ll help to settle any of her own uncertainties.

“Oh, hey, you’re up,” Dean says as she enters the kitchen.

Beth nods a little and fixes herself a cup of coffee. Dean is stood beside her, eating a slice of toast and drinking his own cup of coffee. As she finishes pouring her own, she moves around to sit on one of the stools. She’s debating on how to start the conversation when Rio walks in through the side door.

He walks straight up to her like it’s natural for him to just let himself in (which Beth realises, it might as well be) and ignores the look on Dean’s face who is currently stood mouth wide open, toast hovering close by. Beth does her best to hide her smile behind her cup.

“Morning, sweetheart,” Rio says before taking her coffee from her and drinking some of it. She rolls her eyes as he settles it down on the island counter.

“What is he doing here?” Dean demands. He’s put the half-eaten slice of toast and his coffee down on the counter behind him.

“Well,” Beth begins as Rio stands beside her, also facing Dean. “You seem to think that I’m going to change my mind about this whole thing but I’m not going to. Rio here,” she motions to him, “is in business with us. He’s providing cars and we’re selling them, end of.” Dean looks between them. “And as for us, _we_ aren’t going to happen again. I don’t care that we have four children, we can still co-parent like plenty of other people do.”

“And your threats to try and get me killed won’t work,” Rio adds to which Dean looks momentarily terrified before he manages to recover. “And don’t even think about the FBI either.”

“Bethie…”

“Don’t,” she snaps. “What is the point? We’ve already discussed this. You clearly want to keep sleeping with younger women and fine, do that. Just stop trying to convince yourself and me that we have any kind of chance.” She lets out a breath. “Rio and I are going to be discussing the next shipment before the kids get up. When I get to work I’ll fill you in and we can also talk about you moving out at some point. I know it’s hard to find a place and for the kids, I won’t push you to leave just yet but it is going to happen.” She vaguely motions to Rio again. “He and I are in this, alright? So you can just stop wasting your breath and get on with it. Move on with your life and be free to openly continue making your way through the alphabet of college girls.”

She turns to look at Rio and she notices that he’s been fixing Dean with that look. The one with slightly narrowed eyes and locked jaw, the one she knows probably comes right before he pulls the trigger. It only disappears when he catches Beth looking and when he turns to look at her, he fixes her with a smile which she can’t help but return.

“I only slept with Angela - that brunette - because I was hurt that you didn’t trust me.” Beth’s smile instantly disappears. Dean does his best to sound wounded but she can tell he’s trying his best to make her the bad guy so he can get off scot-free again. “After you asked me about signing most of the business over to you, I was upset.”

Rio raises a brow at her because they both know he’s lying. She realises then that Dean still doesn’t realises that she caught him on the security cameras which means he’s been with her again since he agreed to sign over the papers but before she confronted him.

“You know that’s funny.” Beth slowly gets off the stool and Rio just smirks. “Because I saw you with her last Wednesday in your office which was before I even mentioned you signing over part of the business.”

Dean just gawks at her. “I…”

“I don’t care,” she says, holding her hand up. “I’m going to finish my coffee outside with Rio before the kids get up. You better leave before you’re late for work.” She picks up her cup and grabs Rio hand in hers before heading towards the back door. “Oh and Dean? Seen as you’ve seen _Angela_ again recently, maybe you can ask her to put you up for a bit until you find your own place, yeah?”

She doesn’t wait for a response, Rio’s low chuckle from behind her is satisfaction enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to put all of this into one chapter instead of splitting it up. Fair warning, that this isn't the end of Beth (and Rio) dealing with Dean but she is definitely done with him.


	6. Comfortable Silence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get a little more intimate and physical in Beth and Rio's relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The rating has gone up to mature with this chapter due to somewhat explicit scenes of a sexual nature :)
> 
> For those of you who have wondered when these two will stop getting interrupted, I hope you enjoy.

A couple of weeks passed by and in that time the first shipment of cars came in. True to his word, it was only enough to fill up some of the lot which allowed for Beth to continue getting cars from other sources. She couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face when she realised that Rio had supplied them with vans very much like her own. She knew from the confused look on Dean’s face that it had been so she would have to deal with those particular cars and her sorry excuse for a husband would have to keep his hands off.

Generally, things were good at Boland Motors. She and Dean stuck to their usual schedule for the most part so as not to disrupt everything all at once. She did well selling the vans which meant the money she had to clean for Rio was often dealt with fairly quickly and although there were limited vans on the lot, they were being re-stocked often enough that the turn around more than made up for it. It also meant that things were going great with her and Rio. They didn’t see too much of each other but when they did he was pretty laid back and more often than not, he would smile or even joke around a little. Well, as much as Rio could joke around. It fascinated Beth that he was able to maintain that air of professionalism while also making light of the space around them. She wasn’t going to complain though. While she had locked away the confusion she felt surrounding her feelings for him, she was content that things weren’t awkward or tense between them.

Not only were things great with work thanks to her 60% and the successful turn around of Rio’s cars but things also moved forward at home thanks to Dean packing up some things and going to his mother’s house. He had gone surprisingly quickly - less than a week after she had confronted him with Rio - but the fact that the majority of his things were still in the house made her doubt that he was gone for good. She really wasn’t sure what he was capable of anymore and although she did try to see the positive in him not being in the house anymore, she couldn’t help the anxious feeling that grew inside of her when the kids went to his mother’s house on Friday after school for the night. In the end, she naturally did the only thing she could think of, she called Annie and Ruby and suggested a girl’s night.

“Chocolate or popcorn?” Ruby asks as she rummages through Beth’s kitchen.

“Uh, _both_!” Annie says with the most disbelieving tone she can muster. “What are you? An amateur?”

Ruby looks to Beth who just tries not to laugh as she gathers three glasses from the cupboard. “You’re right, I must be some kind of amateur.”

“Ooo,” Annie calls, hanging over the back of the couch so she can see better into the kitchen. “We need a bowl of popcorn, a bowl of chocolate, and a bowl of them already mixed together.”

“You could help,” Ruby remarks.

Beth laughs. “Don’t hold your breath.”

“I heard that!” She had settled back onto the couch again. “And I am helping, I’m picking the movie.”

“It better be a good one,” Beth warns.

“Or one that’s so bad, it’s entertaining,” Ruby adds.

“You’re talking to a pro here.”

Beth and Ruby look to each other and shake their heads, rolling their eyes a little. Together they get the three bowls and go about dividing up the food before carrying it all to the couch. Beth hands the bowl she had been carrying to Annie before setting the three glasses onto the coffee table. She pours them each a glass of bourbon and passes them out.

“Horror or comedy?” Annie asks.

Just as Beth is about to sit down on the couch between them, her phone vibrates. She sees his name and one word: _outside_. She glances towards the kitchen before taking a drink of her bourbon and placing it on the coffee table. Annie and Ruby look over at her when she doesn’t move to sit down.

“Judith,” she explains, holding up the phone. “She was checking if I was busy. I’m gonna call her and see how the kids are.”

“You want us to wait?” Annie asks but Beth can tell she doesn’t want to.

“No, get it started,” Beth says. “I shouldn’t be too long.”

As she slips towards the back door, she can’t help the worried feeling that settles in her stomach. It doesn’t go unnoticed by her that being concerned about a one-word text is pretty juvenile, especially when the person texting is Rio, but she can’t help it. When things are going so well, something often goes very wrong. She wonders if this is it.

It doesn’t help that when she steps outside, he’s sat on the table part of the picnic bench with his head down but thankfully as she steps closer, he looks up, amused little smirk in place and all of her concerns melt away in an instant. With a slight spring in her step, she closes the gap between them and sits down on the table beside him.

“Busy?” he asks.

“Girls night,” she explains. “The kids are with Dean.”

“How’s that?”

“I’m scared,” she admits. “I don’t think he’ll pull anything but who knows, right?”

Rio nods a little as if he understands and she realises that there’s a very big chance that he does. She’s never really asked about his personal life or how things are with Marcus’ mother, if she’s even still in the picture.

“Well, if he does pull anything, you’ll handle it, yeah?”

Beth looks at him and he raises a brow. After a moment, she nods. “So… I’m guessing you’re not here to ask me about my plans?”

“I noticed you’re shifting those mama vans pretty quickly,” Rio says. “Was wondering if we could add a couple more to the next order?”

“Soon,” she says after a moment. “Annie and Ruby have been able to shift a couple when I’m not there but I’d rather wait and see how things continue on.”

“Sure, sure.” He looks over towards the house. “Don’t wait too long though. I ain’t about to take over your entire lot but we can definitely go bigger.”

Beth’s eyes roam over him. He’s got his hoodie on but the hood is down this time and he’s got his blue beanie on. She can also see he’s got a plain, grey t-shirt. It’s a good combination on him, casual, cosy looking. Beth is thankful he’s looking away from her because he doesn’t seem to have clocked that she’s staring at him. She can’t help it. There’s so much she wants to say to him. She never really got to thank him for being there when she confronted Dean.

When they had gone outside right after, they had sat in comfortable silence while she drank her coffee and he had enquired if she was going to go through with kicking him out. Like always, things quickly moved onto business before she could say “thank you” to him and there never seemed to be a right moment to do it since.

“I got something on my face?” he asks suddenly.

Beth can feel the instant heat in her cheeks as she quickly looks away. “No, you’re good.”

“Spit it out, mama.” His tone is laced with amusement and it just makes her blush deepen.

“I just wanted to say thank you for being there when I confronted Dean.” Although he looks at her and nods a little, she keeps talking. “I know I could probably do it on my own but it really helped. I knew he would be more serious if you were there and he often tries to change the subject or make out like we can still figure stuff out and I just knew I would get angry. You kept me calm.” She knows she’s rambling but she can’t stop and she can’t help the smile that spreads across her face. “Isn’t that funny? But you do that quite a bit actually, keep me calm I mean. Maybe it just radiates off you, I don’t know, but anyway, I just… Thank you.”

He’s grinning. “I was just happy to be able to see you in action.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, a real boss.”

“Hmm.”

It dawns on her how close they are. She hadn’t noticed when she sat down on the bench initially and for a moment it feels almost invasive but then her eyes are on his lips and they are all she can focus on. He seems to clock it because he leans in. The tip of his nose brushes against hers as he tilts his head to the side. He pauses and so Beth leans in the rest of the way and presses her lips to his.

The kiss is short but sweet. When he pulls away, he exhales slowly, like he’s trying to catch his breath and Beth almost loses her's when she catches his eye. He looks a little perplexed but there’s also a sparkle in there that makes hope flair up inside of her. She considers saying something but then he’s pressing his lips to hers and this kiss is different. His hand comes up to cup her cheek and hers grasp the front of his hoodie as if to keep him as close as possible.

They kiss slow and deliberately and every time they pull away it isn’t long before they’re right back in again. He tastes sweet, something honey-like, with maybe a hint of cinnamon. She wonders if he can taste the salt from the popcorn she swiped while filling the bowls up. Either way, he doesn’t seem to complain as his tongue swipes out over her bottom lip and she returns the notion by nibbling on his lower lip. When he pulls away from her this time, he blinks a little.

“I should get back inside,” she says a little regretfully. “I said I wouldn’t be long and they’ll come looking.”

He hums a little, leaning in just enough so that their lips are almost touching and he can feel her breath against his skin. “Continuation?”

“I go in late to the dealership tomorrow.”

Rio blinks a little in surprise before a low chuckle escapes. “We gonna have that half day together then?”

“You’ll just have to come over and find out.”

Beth kisses him once again before slipping off the table. She chances a look over her shoulder at him as she gets closer to the house. He’s still sat there but his eyes are all over her and even from a distance she can see that his lips are parted. It makes her grin and she quickly looks away, knowing that at this point, her blush could probably be seen from any distance.

Once she’s back inside, she closes the door and leans back against it for a moment. The whole thing, from the way every detail invades her brain to how her stomach keeps doing somersaults, makes her feel like some stupid teenager but she doesn’t care. She had long since given up on feeling that way simply from a kiss or from just being in someone else’s psychical space. Maybe it would all come crashing down but for now, Beth shelved those doubts away to worry about at a later date.

* * *

 

When Rio shows up at her house the next day, for a split second Beth forgets that she told him she was going in late to the dealership. It’s no surprise that he’s waited until she’s done her morning errands a nd then arrived back home. She’s just done putting the shopping away when he swans in through the side door without a care in the word.

Rio catches her initial shock and raises a brow. When she finally settles on a smile, he grins and walks towards her. His arm snakes around her waist, drawing her in. He leans in just enough so that his lips are close to hers.

“You forgot,” he accuses.

“I didn’t forget,” Beth argues but she knows it’s pointless because he can always see right through her. “I just lost track of time is all.”

“Yeah, alright,” he says, but he smiles like he doesn’t believe it.

Before she can begin to speak, he swoops down to press a gentle kiss to her neck. Just as he goes to kiss another spot, Beth’s eyes fall on the dining room and she laughs suddenly because it feels like some sign that she can’t just ignore. When Rio pulls back, he raises a brow at her. 

“Sorry,” she says, hand over her mouth because she can already feel the next round of laughter bubbling up.

“Never had that reaction before.”

She wiggles out of his grasp and moves to grab two glasses as well as the bottle of bourbon she’s stashed in one of the cupboards behind the cereal that no one ever eats. She pours them both a drink, careful not to fill the glasses up too much.

When she comes back around the island counter, she settles one glass down and slides it over to him. “It was quite a long time ago now,” she muses before taking a sip of her drink. “But do you remember when Turner first started poking around? And I wasn’t quite sure what to say?”

He picks up his glass and takes a drink, watching her carefully. “Uh huh.”

“I told him you were hitting it.”

Rio pauses, glass halfway up to his lips. “That so?”

She nods as she puts her glass down. “Told him my husband cheated on me and that I went to a bar. That we met there and I brought you home with me.” She watches as he puts his glass down beside hers. His face is blank and she would say he’s unmoved by her story but his eyes give him away. “I said we drank a little more but I told you to leave because normally I wouldn’t do anything like that. But then you kissed me and I kissed you back.”

At that, Rio leans in and presses a kiss to her lips and when he draws back, Beth pulls him in again so she can kiss him in return. “And then?” he mumbles against her lips.

She grabs his hand and pulls him towards the dining table. Her eyes scan over the breakfast dishes that there had been no time to clean earlier. She moves the chair aside before leaning back against the head of the table, Rio immediately stepping into her space. His hand rests gently against her hip as he kisses her again.

“I told him you pulled my panties down,” she says against his lips. “And we screwed right on the kitchen table. Over the breakfast dishes. Blueberry pancakes.”

Rio pulls back enough so he can see over her shoulder. He grins when she sees the remains of blueberry pancakes. “He believe you?”

She shrugs, biting her lip a little. “Maybe.”

His eyes are back on her and his hand gently slips underneath her dress until his fingers can hook into the side of her panties. He tugs them down surprisingly slow, his other hand reaching under to help, and she realises that he wants to draw his out. When they’re down far enough, he lets go of her completely and she’s able to wriggle out of them entirely and kick them to one side. Before he can reach for her again, she hoists herself up onto the edge of the table.

Rio steps between her legs almost immediately and he’s kissing her. He’s got one hand tangled in her hair and she’s got her hands on his belt, undoing it and as soon as she’s successful, his kisses become slower, lazy even. He’s kissing her lips and the corner of her mouth and her cheeks and he continues to cycle through those same spots. It makes her slow her movements but Beth still pops the button on his jeans and tugs on the zipper. As she begins to push his jeans and boxers down, he pulls away enough to look at her.

“Elizabeth,” he says as she pushes them down far enough and wraps her legs loosely around him.

“Yes,” she says before he can ask the question.

This time he goes for her neck, alternating between feather like kisses on certain spots and sucking hard enough on others to definitely leave some marks. All the while, his slips under her dress, pushing it further up, and two of his fingers find their way between her folds and rub in slow, lazy circles over her clit. She gasps, arching her back as her hands find his shoulders and grip them hard.

Occasionally, he’ll slip his fingers all the way down and press them into her before slowly withdrawing to focus back on her clit. It doesn’t matter how much she moans or curses or pleads, Rio doesn’t increase his speed and suddenly, with no warning, he pulls his hand away. She’s about to complain, maybe even beg, but then she feels the tip of him against her entrance and she gasps. He catches her eye and remains completely still. It’s only when she gives a firm nod and a verbal, “yes”, that he finally pushes into her, slowly, bit by bit.

Beth gasps and he takes the opportunity to capture her mouth in another kiss. Her legs wrap a little tighter around him as his speed increases. She grips his shoulders and he’s got one hand on the table to balance himself, his other arm wraps tightly around her.

Even though they continue to kiss, it’s not long before they’re mostly just hovering close enough for their breath to mingle. It soon becomes difficult to know whose moans are louder and the sounds are often disrupted by a string of curse words from him and noises from her that sound almost pleading. When his thumb finds her clit again, Beth can’t take much more of it and she presses her forehead against the crook of his neck. He continues to move, thrusting in and out of her, thumb circling quickly and unforgiving.

When she feels like she’s about to tip over the edge, Beth lifts her head just enough to plant a kiss against his neck before she bites down, hard. He curses but it’s just enough to make him fall over the edge at the same time as her and come completely undone. His thrusts increase, become brutal even as the arm around her tightens, his fingers digging into her and she knows there will be bruises but she doesn’t care, especially when her name tumbles from his lips, softer than she’s ever heard it before and with far more depth to it.

She raises her head as Rio begins to slow until he eventually stills completely. He presses his forehead against her. His eyes are closed and they’re both breathing deeply. “Christ,” he mumbles before pressing a kiss to the corner of her mouth. “Fuck.”

And it’s so soft and he sounds completely at a loss that Beth has to laugh a little. “Yeah,” she agrees.

He finally opens his eyes again. “You got to head off yet?”

“I’m sure we said something about a half day.”

With that he grins, stepping back so she can climb off the table. Her dress falls back down as he tugs up his jeans and boxers. He doesn’t bother to secure them as he takes her hand and pulls her towards her bedroom. Beth wants to ask what he’s doing but she finds she likes not knowing. Nothing could burst through the warm and gentle haze that surrounds her.

When they do reach her bedroom, he leads the way to the bathroom and reaches into the shower to turn it on. This time he gets undressed completely and he doesn’t even bother to look back at her as he stands under the spray. He lets it fall over his face for a moment before he finally turns to her.

“You ain’t gonna let me shower alone are you?” He pouts but she can already see the corners of his mouth tug up. 

Beth undresses too, albeit a little slower as the realisation hits her that this is the first time they’ve actually seen each other naked. She keeps her eyes on his as she steps into the shower. It’s not until he’s reaching over to grab her body wash that she lets her eyes roam over his body and she figures she could certainly get used to seeing more of him. She immediately blushes when she sees him smirk just as his eyes run up and down the length of her. Eventually, he motions for her to turn around and once she has, he begins to massage the body wash into her shoulders, neck, and back.

“This was way better than my story,” she says, not even a little embarrassed at the quiet moan that escapes her.

Rio’s hands are on her shoulders and they slowly run down the length of her arms until he can intertwine their fingers together. “I’m sure we could top it next time.”

“What makes you so sure there’ll be a next time?” But she already knows there will be.

He grabs the bottle again and squeezes out more of the body wash. He gently rubs into her stomach and her breasts. Everything about his movements are slow and intimate and surprisingly not very sexual at all. “Baby, after that, I don’t think there’s anything that could stop us.”

Beth hums a little in agreement but she also pulls away from him and turns around to face him. She lets the spray wash over her for a moment before she places her hands on his shoulders for support and she lifts up to kiss him. Before he can return her kiss, she pulls away to reach for the bottle of body wash but he grabs her wrist and shakes his head.

“You go and get comfortable,” he tells her. “I won’t be long.”

Nodding her head, she makes a mental note to have an encore of their little shower session, before she steps out to leave him to wash up properly. She grabs one of the fluffy robes from the back of the door and wraps it tightly around herself. She then places a fresh towel nearby for him to use before heading out into the bedroom.

Her mind is racing and she can’t stop smiling as she lays across the bed, staring up at the ceiling. This was nothing like their little bathroom break. Her heart is pounding just the same but she feels even happier than she had back then and her face aches more than it ever has before but she doesn’t care, in fact, she loves it. She’s warm and giddy and unless the other shoe decides to drop, she’s going to embrace it.

She’s not too sure when the shower clicks off because she only becomes aware of Rio’s presence when the bed dips as he crawls onto it beside her. “Hey, mama,” he says softly before kissing her. He hums appreciatively when she nibbles on his bottom lip in return.

He’s dried off and put his boxers back on so when he finally lays down beside her, Beth is able to reach out and draw patterns across his chest with her fingers. Rio doesn’t move or say anything about it, he just simply watches her as they lay there in comfortable silence.


	7. Bake Sale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of something soft and fun between Beth and Rio

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been a hot minute since I updated this, I ended up going on holiday for 2 and a half weeks and I was struggling to get in the mindset for this but I actually had a lot of fun writing this chapter so I hope you enjoy it and I'm excited to get back to updating!

Beth and Rio had stayed curled up on the bed for a long time after. She was on her side, head on his chest as she dozed on and off while Rio's arm wrapped around her waist, hand rested on her hip. His fingers would lightly drum against her, creating a rhythm that stopped Beth from worrying about the fact that she should have been up, dressed, and well on her way to the dealership. Even when she had finally declared that she should really be getting ready to leave, Rio had simply said "no" before holding her tighter against him and kissing her neck.

Eventually, he had let her go but by the time he was dressed and slipped out the backdoor, Beth had noticed just how late it had gotten. When she got to the dealership, Dean had caught her eye across the lot but she simply ducked her head and went straight inside to deal with paperwork. She signed off on the next shipment of cars and thankfully, a couple of hours after she arrived, one of Rio’s guys - Arkin - showed up to look over the books meaning she could avoid having to talk to Dean who would no doubt bring up the fact that she had been late and want some kind of explanation especially considering how she’s already altered her work schedule for the weekend.

The first time Beth met Arkin, she didn't know what to think of him. Sitting across from him as he sits behind her desk, clicking through the computer and flipping through the physical book, she watches him. He's white, incredibly pale in fact, although there seems to be a permanent pink flush to his cheeks and the tip of his nose. His hair is a dark brown colour and sits in short messy curls on top of his head. He's got green eyes that Beth admittedly got distracted by the first time she met him and ended up introducing herself twice. (To his credit, he simply laughed and introduced himself a second time as well). He can't be much older than his early twenties, he's around her height, slim, and always seemed to dress in a pair of dark blue jeans, checked shirt (tucked in), and a bowtie. The only visible tattoo he seems to have is of some kind of lizard on the inside of his forearm that Beth only caught when he rolled his sleeves up one time.

"You alright, Mrs B?" he asks without looking up.

She shakes her head to clear it. "Great. I'm great."

He smiles knowingly but doesn't call her out for staring at him. Instead, he just keeps on with his work. It's only the third time they've been around each other but he has a comforting feel to him. Only a few minutes after meeting for the first time, he had Beth laughing and it felt like they had known each other for ages. Like always, she wants to ask how he and Rio came to know each other but she doesn't.

"What do you tell your husband?" He must clock her confusion because he finally looks away from what he's doing. "About me being here."

"Oh, he hasn't asked," Beth says which is true although she’s still waiting for it to come up. "I'm sure he's realised you know Rio and I don't think he wants to know any more than he has to."

"Yeah, my Ma is like that." He's back to focusing on the computer again. "She likes Rio right enough but she's not stupid, she knows the sort of things he gets up to."

"Yeah but her husband is a dumbass who thinks he's superior." They both look towards the door to see Rio standing there, leaning against the door frame. "Your Ma just doesn't want to get involved, doesn't want to know more than she has to."

"Ignorance is bliss," Arkin agrees.

Rio laughs a little. "You done here?"

He hits a few keys and then marks something down in the book before closing it over. "Yeah. She’s picked it up pretty quick so there wasn't much to change this time."

"You alright to drop by every two weeks or so?"

Arkin gets up from behind the desk and wanders over towards Rio. "Sure." He glances back to Beth who has also stood up. "That work for you, Mrs B?"

She nods and offers up a smile. "Sure. Sunday will be best but you know where everything is anyway."

He nods his head in agreement before turning his attention to Rio. They embrace in a one-armed hug. They linger for just a moment, Rio saying something quietly to Arkin who nods before they part, both laughing a little. Before he leaves, Arkin looks back at Beth one more time to wave goodbye, accompanied by a smile.

Beth returns both and once he's out the door, she grabs the book from the desk and puts it away. When she turns back around, Rio is still standing there, watching her carefully. His eyes roam over her and when he catches her eye, he smirks.

"You're not getting him into any serious trouble are you?" Beth asks, tilting her head in the general direction of where Arkin had gone. She wants to direct the conversation before Rio can.

"Why? You worried about my boy?"

She shrugs, logging out of the computer. "He's nice, that's all."

"Yeah," Rio agrees. "He likes you."

"What did you say to him?" Beth asks, curiosity getting the better of her.

"Told him not to call you Mrs B."

She frowns. "Why not? I don't mind it."

He shrugs a little, tilting his head a fraction to the side as he steps further into the room. ”Told him _Mrs_ wasn't appropriate."

Beth rolls her eyes. "It's still technically right. And he's sweet, let him call me Mrs B if he wants to."

Rio chuckles, eyes roaming over her once more. "He only helps with the books sometimes and with certain tech stuff. Nothing too serious. His Ma was good to me growing up, I won't let him get in too deep."

She gave him a disbelieving look. ”Even if he wants to?"

"I value my life too much." That makes Beth smile. The fact that the one thing that seems to make Rio pause is somebody's mother. "Hey, mama, what are you doing for lunch?"

“Oh.” She blinks, baffled about the sudden change of conversation before she glances at the clock briefly. "Nothing. I'm actually on my way out, I've got something to do."

"That so?”

"That's so."

He watches as she gathers up her bag. "I gotta guess what it is?"

"There's a bake sale for the school tomorrow," she tells him. “I’ve got to go home and finish baking some brownies.”

“Right, right,” Rio says, effectively blocking the door. “Don’t you work full days on Sundays?”

“Usually,” she agrees. “But Dean _hates_ bake sales so getting him to cover wasn’t exactly hard. Plus, even if it was, I’m in charge of this place and we have plenty of people who are skilled enough that I could ask to cover.”

“Perks of still working with your ex, huh?”

Beth rolls her eyes as Rio comes right up to her, effectively pushing her back until she’s pinned against the side of the desk. “I I just have to hope he gets fed up and quits.”

“You could make him leave,” Rio suggests.

“He might be dumb but that won’t stop him from trying to use it in the divorce.” Her hand comes up to fiddle with one of Rio’s shirt buttons. “Besides, if he makes the decision to leave, he might consider selling me his part of the dealership.”

“Or he could sell it to someone else.”

Her fingers trace their way up his chest to gently dip into his open collar where she traces the lines of his neck tattoo “Good thing I know someone that could make the market a little scarce.”

Rio leans in and gives her a brief, gentle kiss. “You’re using me,” he accuses.

She blinks innocently at him. “Is it using you if I ask nicely?”

He rolls his eyes and this time when he kisses her, he nips at her bottom lip. “You’re impossible.”

“I’ll take that as a no.” Beth places a gentle kiss against his cheek before slipping away. Just as she goes through the door, she glances back just long enough to catch him biting the corner of his mouth and shaking his head.

As she walks away, Beth can’t help the little bounce in her step. Even being stopped twice within seconds of stepping away from her office door to sign things isn’t enough to stop the high she’s riding. No matter how confused she may be about her feelings for Rio or where they truly stand, it’s pretty impossible to squash down the way her heart beats that little bit faster and the warmth that radiates throughout her, making it hard not to smile. She might be living a lie, living on happiness that’s there on borrowed time, but she’s going to enjoy it nonetheless.

At least until she spots Dean by the exit. He’s got his arms crossed and there’s no way she’s going to be able to get around him. She sighs, debating whether or not to turn back towards her office. Maybe she could get Rio to walk out with her but that seems childish and she really would be using him then.

“Dean,” she says, smiling a little as she approaches him.

“Where were you this morning?”

“After I dropped the kids off, I decided to get a head start on the bake sale and I lost track of time.”

“Sure,” Dean says, looking past her. “Why was he here?”

Beth looks back to see Rio standing there while Laura - one of their employees - chats away to him, carefully indicating the car in front of them. He nods along, seemingly paying attention to everything she’s saying and showing him but Beth notices the way his eyes dart to where she and Dean are standing more than once.

“Business,” Beth supplies. “What else?”

“If he causes trouble-“

“He won’t. In fact, I’m sure he’ll be leaving soon.”

“Wouldn’t it be easier for you if you both just left together?”

“What are you-” But then she catches the way Dean is puffing his chest out a little as he glares at Rio and it makes her scoff. “Oh trust me, if anything were to happen between him and I, you’d know about it.”

Which is a lie because Dean is the most oblivious person she’s ever met and she doesn't plan to outright tell him about any future encounters with Rio but the stunned look on his face is enough to make her grin as she gently pushes by him to leave the dealership. The image of Dean’s wide eyes and mouth opening and closing repeatedly is enough to make her laugh as she heads over to her car.

* * *

Beth is set up in the far left corner of the gym. Stalls line the outside of the room while the other stalls create rows in the middle. It's a decent enough spot. A lot of people are making their way around the stalls on the outer side first and she's far enough along that people haven't already bought too much. It also seems that the reputation of her brownies has stayed in tact despite the fact she hasn't made them for any school events in well over a year.

"So if I buy the pack of 5 does that come in a fancy box or something?"

She freezes at the sound of Rio's voice and slowly turns to him. "What are you doing here?"

"Buying some brownies I hope." He doesn't smile but Beth can tell he's struggling to keep his face straight. "Unless you want to just invite me to yours and give me some for free."

Beth tries to ignore the looks from the other parents that pass by or stand at the nearby stalls as she walks right up to Rio. “You can’t be here,” she hisses.

“I like supporting local schools.”

She folds her arms over her chest and gives him a disbelieving look. “Is that so?”

“Sure.” He shrugs and it’s like he’s not even trying to be convincing. “Still wouldn’t say no to you inviting me back to yours for some free ones though.”

“Now who’s the impossible one?”

He laughs and reaches out for one of the free samples she’s got on display. “So, is there a fancy box?”

“It’s not fancy but yes, there’s a box.”

Rio pops the brownie into his mouth and fishes some money out of his pocket as he chews. “I’ll take 15 then.”

“You… You want 15 brownies?”

“I mean…” He starts to turn away. “I can take my business elsewhere.”

But she swipes the money from his hand - making him chuckle - before he can turn away completely. “No, your business is welcome here.”

“Marcus likes them,” he supplies. “And he’s got a playdate today, figured I could drop them round before it starts. Maybe steal a couple.”

“Oh,” Beth says as she turns away from him. She puts the money in the secure box and starts to box up the brownies.

“What’d Dean want yesterday?” he asks as she hands him over the boxes.

She glances at the other parents who aren’t being subtle at all when it comes to watching her and Rio. “Wanted to know why I was late.” She considers her next words for a moment. “Suggested I was actually leaving earlier to be with you.”

Rio has an amused looking on his face as he looks her up and down. “Oh really?”

“He’s an idiot,” she supplies. “He knew exactly why I was leaving and yet…”

“He’s jealous,” Rio says to which Beth begins to shake her head but then he’s setting the boxes down. He places his hands on the table and leans over it so his lips are close to her ear. “Just like them.”

Beth licks her lips and looks to the end of her stall where three moms are gathered. They’re whispering amongst each other as they watch. Beth bites her lip and looks upward before turning her attention to Rio who has pulled back just enough to look at her. He raises a brow and he’s wearing that usual smirk.

“You’re trouble,” she accuses.

“Probably why we work so well.” He winks at her - actually _winks_ \- and it’s enough to make Beth blush. He licks his lips, clearly trying not to laugh as he moves back completely and picks up the boxes. “See you soon, Elizabeth.”

Beth blinks after him, the heat in her cheeks only intensifying as her heart flutters. Public displays of… _anything_ with Rio shouldn’t be happening, especially because she knows her luck and she knows full well that despite Dean’s cheating, she’ll be the recipient of some pretty dirty looks and whispering that will no doubt paint her as the person in the wrong for moving on before she’s divorced. But then she catches sight of the three moms who are still watching her and they’re giving her those dirty looks and yet, all Beth can feel is the fluttering in her heart.

With a deep breath, she moves towards the center of her stall before asking brightly, “how can I help?”


	8. Rabbit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rio and the Boland kids meet

The bake sale went surprisingly well. While there were still people whispering long after Rio had left, it did eventually die down although Beth was sure that it would no doubt spread through word of mouth. No one had actually approached her directly to ask who Rio was which she was thankful for. She really had no idea what she would say and it was far easier to live in a state of bliss for a little longer. It also helped that her brownies sold out fairly quickly and, after cleaning away her stall, she wandered around to buy a couple of things before she left to pick up the kids.

Calling Judith to tell her that that she didn't need to pick up the kids had been surprisingly easy. Beth wasn't entirely sure what she knew about Dean leaving the house but she didn't want to rock the boat and cause trouble down the line so being considerate of Judith was a must. It helped that her mother-in-law was actually a decent person and someone that Beth genuinely got along with. For now, the idea of divorce sat purely in her own mind although Dean was very much aware that it was a possibility. Beyond that, the kids didn't know and there was no way of knowing for sure how things might go if Judith was to find out prematurely. The thought of things becoming more and more strained between her and Dean as they tried to co-parent was a stressful thought on its own and so Beth wanted to at least keep things good and civil between herself and Judith.

It was actually picking up the kids that was the most taxing part of the day. Luckily enough they mostly finished at staggered times which meant that usually none of them would have to wait around for her to show up. Jane and Emma were both at the same building, the former doing dance and the latter going to acting classes, and they finished 15 minutes apart which gave Beth plenty of time to make sure both girls had all of their things before they hurried back to the car. She did, however, end up being a couple of minutes late to get Danny (apparently Jane’s shoes weren't on right and so she just had to sit on down on the ground right by the car for a good 5 minutes to fix them before she finally let Beth do it) but luckily with soccer taking place on outside on a field, Danny was able to kick a ball around with the other kids who hadn't been picked up yet either.

Kenny was a different story for the best of reasons. While she did get to the swimming pool just in time for him coming out of the changing rooms (although she’s not entirely sure how), he most likely would have sat down and amused himself, eating the snack she always put into his bag, until she got there. Kenny could be the most frustrating of her kids sometimes thanks to growing up so quickly (the fact that he was almost a teenager scared her a little) but lately he had been different, more mature and better behaved than he ever has been before. Sometimes she questioned it but she was still yet to talk to him about it because those days where she didn't have to worry about him too much were the best.

All of the kids were a little more hyper than usual (normally, they were satisfied and enthusiastic but still tired) and even with Kenny trying to keep the others all amused during the ride home, she was about ready to lock herself in her bedroom and drink a glass of bourbon. Thankfully the promise of cupcakes (ones she had originally been planning to make for the bake sale but ended up shelving in favour of brownies) had been enough to get them to settle and promise to be on their best behaviour.

She’s actually in the middle of pulling the cupcakes out and putting icing on them when Rio shows up at her door. He let’s himself in which is no surprise and for once she actually sees him walking from the front door towards her and she’s thankful, knowing full well that icing would have gone everywhere because she would have inevitably jumped, squeezed the piping bag a little too hard and even let out a scream. She does, however, narrow her eyes at him as he walks right up to the island counter and peers over to her side to see what she’s doing.

“What are you doing here?” she asks, fully aware of her kids playing out in the backyard and the fact that they could come running in at any moment.

“Marcus liked your brownies,” he supplies, ignoring her question or maybe he is answering it, she can’t quite decide.

“Well, maybe I could make him some more at some point,” Beth offers as she focuses back to icing the cupcakes.

Beth can just feel his eyes on her and she’s pretty confident he’s doing that thing where his eyes roam lazily up and down her while still maintaining an air of mystery as to what he’s really thinking as he looks her over. She becomes painfully aware of the fact that the bun she’s created at the top of her head is lopsided with the strands of hair falling out all over the place and she can just feel how red and blotchy her face is from the heat as well as the stress of getting her hyper kids to settle down for just one second.

“Yeah, maybe,” Rio finally says.

“If you're here for your free brownies,” she starts, pausing ever so briefly to swipe up a bit of stray icing with her finger. “I don’t have any.”

“I like cupcakes too.”

“Maybe I don’t have enough for you.”

“You’ve got six there,” Rio points out. “Last I checked there’s only five of you here.”

“Observant,” Beth says as she concentrates on piping the last two cupcakes before she sets the bag down and straightens up. She’s not about to tell him that she actually has more but this was the easiest way to stop her kids from asking for seconds. “Maybe the sixth one is for Marcus.”

“My son likes to share.”

She raises a brow. “I’m guessing it’s even easier for him if he doesn't know he’s sharing in the first place?”

“Something like that,” Rio says as he tries to hide his smile. “Plus…” He makes his way around the island counter, Beth turning so she’s facing him head on as he approaches. “I could always settle for something else instead.”

“Is that a fact?”

He hums a little in agreement as he walks right up to her until they're chest to chest. While one arm slips around her waist, his other hand comes up to gently tuck her hair behind her ear before his fingers settle beneath her chin, tiling her head back ever so slightly so she has to look up at him. She’s raises a questioning brow and in response, he pulls her in even closer (which she wasn't entirely sure was possible but he manages it nonetheless) and his other arm wraps around her as well. Her hands settle on his chest, slowly creeping up so that her fingers can fan out gently across his neck.

“You look a little flustered, ma,” he says softly as he leans in and gently nudges her cheek with the tip of his nose.

Suddenly, as she watches the way his eyes sparkle when he pulls back to look at her, her lopsided bun and her red, blotchy skin don’t make the slightest bit of difference and she wonders why she ever cared at all. “Hmm, I don’t know what you mean.”

“No?” Rio asks and his eyes are a little wide and his mouth is slightly parted but she can still catch the hint of a smile that tugs at the corners of his mouth. “You sure?”

Beth doesn't know for exactly why she doesn't push him away when at any second one of her kids could walk in and no doubt fire off a string of unfiltered questions. It’s a little reckless and stupid and yet, she’s pushing herself up onto her tip toes, her fingers interlocking at the back of his neck just as she presses her lips softly to his. In an instant he’s kissing her back and she can’t help but smile into it as his eyes drift closed mere moments before hers do.

It’s electrifying really. The way their bodies fit together so perfectly, how surprisingly soft (and nice) his lips are, the slow and easy pace they've both set. It makes her feel on edge in the best way possible, her entire being alight in a way that she’s not entirely sure she’s ever felt before. It amazes her how easy it all is and yet somehow, it’s always so surprising.

“Mommy!” Emma screams from the backyard.

“Tell her you'll be out in a minute,” Rio says, kissing her jaw.

And while Emma doesn't sound like she’s in any trouble and it’s most likely some kind of dispute between her and her siblings, Beth just knows it’s not going to be that easy. She captures Rio’s lips once again, a much deeper kiss this time around, before she lightly pushes him away.

“I’ll be right back.”

He rolls his eyes as he lets her go and once she’s almost at the backdoor, he says “I’m stealing one of these cupcakes by the way” and just as she laughs and is about to tell him to leave well enough alone, the door opens and Emma comes rushing in. She pushes right by Beth but stops abruptly when she spots Rio who is still standing by the island counter, quietly eating one of the cupcakes.

“Who’s that?”

Beth gives him a disproving look for taking the cupcake but in response he simply puts the rest of it in his mouth and smiles. She rolls her eyes at him before crouching down beside Emma. “This is mommy’s friend,” she says, but Emma’s eyes are still watching him although he’s pretending to be oblivious of her staring and is a little too interested in the piping bag Beth has left on the counter. “His name’s Rio.”

“He has a drawing on his neck,” she whispers.

“Yeah,” Beth agrees, with a small laugh.

“Can I see it?”

“I don’t know, it’s not my drawing to show.”

Emma seems to think about that for a moment before walking right up to Rio. When she gets to him, he’s still focused on the piping bag so she gently nudges his leg. As he looks down with a soft, startled expression Beth has to hide her smile as she finally stands up straight again.

“Mr Rio?”

“Yeah?” he asks, titling his head to the side a little as he looks down at her.

“Can I see your drawing, please?” Emma asks, pointing at his neck.

He pretends to think about it for a moment before giving a small shrug. “Sure, but I’m gonna need your name first.”

She grins at him but looks back to Beth for confirmation who nods a little. “Emma!”

He chuckles a little as he crouched down in front of her. “Well, Emma, seen as you asked so nicely.”

Rio tips his head back so his neck is more exposed. Carefully, she steps a little closer to him and she smiles as she looks it over. Her fingers tentatively touch it and her tongue pokes out the corner of her mouth ever so slightly as she concentrates on what she’s doing.

“You want one?” he asks her once she’s stepped back and he’s able to lower his head again. Emma breaks out into a grin but her head tucks down a little as she shakes it. “No? I think you’d look cool.”

“Could I get a bunny?”

“You like bunnies, huh?”

She nods enthusiastically. “They’re the best.”

His bottom lip juts out a little as he makes a point of thinking that over. “I mean, they're alright.”

“They’re better than birds,” Emma says, almost sounding offended as she pushes him lightly.

Beth almost interferes but then Rio bursts out laughing and boops her nose with his finger which she laughs at and tries to curl away. “Is that so, huh?”

“Uh huh,” she says and Beth can tell how excited she is because she’s already beginning to talk with her hands and is jumping a little on the spot. “They’re fluffy and can bounce and have big ears.” Her hands fly up above her head to show how big they are. “And they're just awesome.”

“Are you sure bunnies are like that? You're bouncing around.” He nudges her hair out of the way. “And you've got big ears. Are you sure you're not talking about yourself?”

“No!” Emma giggles. “I don’t have big ears. I was talking about bunnies!”

Rio narrows his eyes a little. “So, you're a bunny then?”

She shakes her head and grins. “You’re silly.”

“Silly?” He opens his mouth wide and pretends to be offended but it only makes Emma smile even wider than before.

Before anything more can be said Kenny, Danny, and Jane come through the backdoor. Kenny stops abruptly at the sight of Rio and the other two peer out from behind him. While they stare, Rio playfully boops Emma’s nose again before standing up. He doesn't say anything, just waits and once again Beth finds herself about to interrupt but again, she’s beaten to it.

“I know you,” Kenny says.

“How’s math coming along?” Rio asks and the shocking part to Beth is that he seems to be genuinely curious.

“It is you!” Kenny says and Beth’s not entirely sure how to feel when he smiles brightly. “I’m getting better.”

“Good, good.” He nods his head a little. “Keep it up.”

Beth looks between them before her eyes fall on Emma who is still stood by Rio. She’s pressed right up against his leg, still smiling, but her eyes quickly find Beth’s. “What did you need me for, sweetie?”

“Oh!” Emma exclaims like she’s just remembered. “We wanna watch a movie.”

“I told her it can’t be a princess movie,” Kenny says.

“No princesses, huh?” Beth asks which earns her eager nods from her sons and pouts from her daughters. She tries to stifle her laugh. “How about Toy Story?”

“Yeah!” Emma says excitedly as she jumps up and down knocking into Rio as she does so but he doesn't seem to mind, even looking down at her with an amused look on his face.

“Toy Story 2,” Kenny corrects before leaning in closer to Beth to say quietly, “Jane will just ask where Jessie is the entire time otherwise.”

“Good idea,” Beth whispers to him.

And as if on cue, Jane tugs on the end of Beth’s dress. “Is that the one with Jessie?”

She tries not to laugh when Kenny rolls his eyes. “Yes it is, sweetie, now why don’t you all get set up? I'll bring in some snacks.”

“But who’s the man?” Danny pipes up.

“Rio,” she supplies, watching as they all look at him curiously.

"He's mom's friend," Kenny adds.

“I like your birdie,” Jane says, grinning at him before looking up at Beth. “Can I have one?”

“We’ll talk again when you're eighteen,” she says, gently nudging her in the direction of the TV.

“No fair,” she mumbles but goes nonetheless.

Kenny gives Rio a little wave (which is returned) before moving to put the movie on before Jane inevitably tries to do it herself and breaks something. Danny needs a little bit more persuading. He’s somehow managed to find his way behind Beth and is peering out from behind her at Rio. He looks intrigued more than anything and while Emma talking to Rio went perfectly fine, Beth doesn't want all of her kids interrogating him just yet, or maybe even ever, she hasn't quite decided.

When Danny eventually leaves, Emma is the only one left. She looks up and reaches to tug on Rio’s hand. He leans down just enough so she can whisper to him. “Do you want to watch the movie too?”

“I can’t, Rabbit,” he tells her and he smiles apologetically. She pouts a little but even Beth can tell it isn't real. “Maybe another time, yeah?”

Beth’s stomach clenches because she knows that if Emma doesn't forget what he’s said, she'll think of it like a promise. But then Emma is smiling happily and she hugs his leg before running off to join the others. It’s too hard for Beth to stay worried after that.

Once she hears the start of the movie, Beth goes round to the where the cupcakes are and picks one up. It’s mostly for something to do because she can’t think of what to say to Rio and she really does need something to do with her hands. She picks at it, trying to ignore the fact that Rio is watching her but it becomes increasingly difficult as he slips behind her. His arms wrap around her middle and, after a moment of deliberation, she leans back against him as she eats her cupcake. At one point, she even breaks off a piece and holds it up for him to eat. He simply leans forward and she turns her head just enough to see what she’s doing as she feeds it to him.

“You don’t have to be here,” she says, offering him an out.

“Got nowhere else to be.”

“Emma likes you.”

“She’s funny,” Rio says and she can hear the amusement in his voice.

“Rabbit, huh?”

He shrugs a little. “Fits her, don’t you think?”

Beth nods because she’s not entirely sure what to say. The thought of him having a nickname for one of her kids seems like a big deal but then she thinks about his ease with nicknames and wonders if there’s really anything to it. Really everything is stacking up. The unanswered questions, the maybes. It makes her want to know more than ever where they stand but she doesn't ask.

Suddenly, Rio's phone begins to vibrate and he digs into his pocket to pull it out. He doesn't bother to pick it up and instead, he puts his phone back into his pocket before stepping away from Beth. She turns around so she can face him and he offers up a small smile.

"Got some stuff to deal with," he supplies. She nods and shrugs a little because she figured as much already. He steps towards her and kisses her - soft and slow - before pulling back just enough to look at her. "I'll be back later."

And she doesn't say anything, just tries to subtly swallow the lump in her throat and nods. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen, it was impossible _not_ to use one of the Toy Story movies lmao. That being said, I still haven't seen the fourth one yet :( and number 2 is lowkey my favourite right now so I had to use that one specifically ;)
> 
> Also, I apologise that not much really happens in this chapter but I really love writing Rio and the kids interacting so I just wanted to leave it there. However, in the next one, we see his POV more and Beth and Dean's divorce comes up again. However, word of warning, while the divorce is definitely going to happen, Dean is going to be a major dick in the meantime so prepare yourselves lmao


	9. Something Deeper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rio's got updates from Demon, an important phone call to take, and the perfect excuse to rush back over to Beth's house.

When Rio leaves Beth’s house, he slips out the side door so as not to disturb the kids and their movie. It’s not until he’s in his car that he phones Demon back and the call is quick, the pair opting to meet a coffee place they frequent regularly. He can guess what it’s about - Turner - considering that’s the main thing Rio had assigned for him to do but beyond that, Demon doesn’t give much away.

If Rio’s being honest, he hopes it’s good news. He wants to be able to get back to Beth’s house as quickly as possible and that in itself, baffles him. As he drives over to meet Demon, he tries not to let it get to him too much. He’s already accepted the fact that he likes working with her and even he can’t deny that he’s always felt something more for her. He does let her away with a lot of shit and there aren't many people he’s willing to jump back into work with after they turn on him like she did by getting him arrested. And he sure as hell hasn’t climbed back into bed with any of them.

When he gets there Demon is just collecting their drinks and hands over a small coffee. Rio tries to fish into his pocket for the money as they head over to the corner of the room to find a table but Demon simply waves him off.

“You got the last what…. Three? I got this.”

“That mean you got the next two as well?” Rio enquires as they sit down.

“Nah.” Demon shrugs. “Perks of having such a generous boss.”

And Rio laughs at that, shaking his head a little because, on the one hand, he knows Demon doesn’t really mean it but on the other, it’s not as if Demon is entirely wrong either. They tend to take turns with little things like this and for the most part, it’s just Rio and his inner circle so he’s more than happy to pay for a drink here and there. He’s even bought food for stakeouts before or ordered in takeaway for the overnight operations. He’s not the only one who does it so in some way it balances itself out. At the very least, it hasn’t gotten to that point where he has to worry about them taking advantage. No one actually expects him to pay for them and that makes Rio even happier to do it.

Demon just smiles as he stirs some sugar into his drink. “So, I got an update on Turner.”

“Figured,” Rio says. “Good or bad?”

“Potentially good,” he supplies. “Most of the people who came here with him have been gradually leaving but now it’s just him and one other guy.”

“Our guy know anything about that?”

He shakes his head. “Although, he did say that all of their shit has been cleared out.”

Rio slowly drinks his coffee as he mulls that over. They had known about the investigation winding down and most likely closing up all together for a while now. It had all just been about waiting to see when Turner would leave or if he even would. He was their biggest problem. Dealing with the likes of the feds watching his every move was something Rio was more than used to but Turner had always been different. He was like a dog with a bone that just wouldn’t give and that intense focus had been slowly moving to Beth ever since he was photographed at her house.

There’s that thought in the back of Rio’s mind that Turner won’t give up. He really just needs him to leave Detroit, go back to Baltimore (or really any place as far away from Michigan would be fine). Rio’s got connections, he can figure out a way to give himself plenty of warning if Turner ever decides to step a foot back inside Detroit again. For now, it’s one step at a time, but it feels like this period of their lives might finally be coming to a close.

“You think he’s gonna leave?” Rio asks.

“No idea, boss,” Demon admits. “If he does then he’ll be on his own.”

“I’m gonna keep an eye on him,” Rio decides. “You said someone stayed behind with him?”

“Yeah, his partner I think.” Demon drinks some of his coffee while he seems to be trying to recall some information. “Noah or something.”

“Well, you keep an eye on Noah, make sure he leaves. We don’t want any of this sticking around.”

“You think Turner’s gonna stop when he leaves Detroit?”

Rio scoffs. “Probably not. I’m sure this is one unsolved mystery he’s not gonna let go of but with no back-up, I doubt he’ll do anything, probably just wait for us to slip up.”

Demon smiles around his coffee cup. “So, business as usual then?”

“Yeah,” Rio says, hiding a smile of his own. “Business as usual.”

And it’s not entirely wrong. Despite partnering up with Beth and using the dealership, they’ve been laying relatively low. Once Turner officially leaves, they’ll continue to lay low just for a little while longer before inevitably upping their game. The feds and whoever else can look as long as they want to, as long as that’s all they’re doing.

Suddenly, Rio’s phone goes off and when he pulls it out, Marcus’ name is scrolled across the display. It’s technically the house phone. Marcus is the only person who ever uses it and he’s the reason that his ex - Lucia - even still has it.

“I gotta take this,” Rio says as he stands up. “Keep an eye on Noah.”

“Bullets watching them now,” Demon informs.

Rio nods a little in thanks before heading towards the exit. He’s only taken a few steps when he finally picks up the phone and presses it to his ear. Marcus is instantly talking on the other end, speaking excitedly.

“Whoa, whoa, pop.” Rio laughs as he stops by his car and leans against the side of it. “Don’t I get a hello first?”

There’s a brief pause and a sigh. “Hi, daddy.”

He rolls his eyes a little and smiles. “So, what was that about dinosaurs?”

“I got a new dinosaur blanket for my bed,” Marcus explains and from his tone, it’s clear he’s happy but that it’s also some serious business. “I have two here.”

“And that’s a problem?” Rio asks, trying not to sound too amused.

“Uh-huh,” Marcus says like it should be obvious. “So can I keep one at yours?”

“Well, it’s your bedroom, Pop,” Rio says. “You can always bring your stuff over but…”

“If it’s really big, I have to pick where it stays and I can’t change my mind,” he recites. “And I gotta keep my room tidy.”

“A blanket ain’t so big, is it?”

“Nope.”

“And it won’t make your room all messy, right?”

“Nope,” Marcus says, before adding hurriedly, “I promise.”

Rio bites back a smile. “Then you better make sure you pack it the next time I see you.”

“Mom said it would be okay.” He can practically hear Marcus’ grin.

“Speaking of, you know you can just use her phone to call me, right?”

“Yeah,” Marcus agrees. “But I like using this one.”

It’s an old one, receiver attached by a wire and everything. Lucia had been planning to get rid of it but just never did. It had come in handy when her phone broke but then Marcus became obsessed with using it. 

Rio closes his eyes and he can imagine Marcus sitting on the floor beside the end table, phone wire stretched down after Lucia dials the number for him. He’s confident Marcus will have some kind of stuffed dinosaur (or maybe even one of his robots) clutched in one arm. There’s probably a cushion under him and Rio knows for a fact that in the colder months Marcus will have a blanket wrapped around his shoulders like a cape.

There’s only been one time where Rio has seen the sight for himself. He and Lucia get on well enough but Marcus was just shy of his second birthday when Rio moved out - not that he ever really moved in. Something just never clicked, not long term anyway. If he had actually gotten around to moving all of his stuff in and settled down, it would’ve been for Marcus, Lucia seemed to realise that as well. The three of them had their family moments, plenty of them. And he loved Lucia, in some way, more than just “she’s the mother of my kid” kind of way too but never quite enough to make it work beyond friends and co-parenting. They worked like that but it did make him wonder.

“Daddy, when do I see you next?”

“Soon, Pop,” Rio supplies. “Mom should have it written on her calendar.”

“Can we get ice-cream when I do?”

“Sure,” Rio says, finding it hard not to smile at the one-track mind of his son that always, _somehow_ , goes back to food. “If you eat all your dinner.”

“Fine,” Marcus mumbles. “I guess that’s fair.”

“That means all the greens as well.”

“I… I can do that,” Marcus says which makes Rio laugh and then, in the background, there’s another voice. “I gotta go though.”

Marcus isn’t as fussy as he could be when it comes to vegetables but he does have his moments so Rio makes a mental note to cook something he’ll actually have a fighting chance at finishing.

“Alright, alright,” Rio says. “But prepare yourself for those vegetables.”

“I want chocolate,” Marcus says, voice confident.

“Goodbye, Pop,” Rio says around a laugh. “Tell your mom that I said hi, okay?”

“Okay.” There’s a rustling on the other end, no doubt Marcus standing up from his spot. “Love you, daddy.”

“Yeah, I love you, too.”

A second later the phone clicks off and Rio sighs, running a hand over his face. Ending the phone call is always the worst part but he’s lucky really. The arrangement they have worked and he knows for a fact that Lucia would never try anything shady with him when it comes to Marcus. In fact, Rio had actually been the one to suggest that she should have primary custody and she had been more than accommodating, even to the point of being flexible with their schedules when it was really important or letting Rio sleep at the house whenever Marcus got particularly ill. It didn’t happen often but just knowing that she's not one of those exes that's determined to keep to their days or keeps threatening to go to court all the time, makes life so much easier.

And then that of course had his thoughts drifting back to Beth. The shit she was going through with that dumbass husband of hers. He was willing to take the kids from her before and Rio’s sure he would try it again. He has to laugh. Criminal or not, she’s great with them. Sometimes he wants to pull his hair out with Marcus and, not to be big-headed or anything, his kid is generally an angel compared to most. He really doesn’t know how she does it with four when Dean was practically acting like her fifth.

That had him thinking about the four of them, although Emma in particular. The way she had giggled and grinned and clung to him. How comfortable she seemed to be around him. He had noticed the way Beth had watched them carefully, clearly ready to interject at any moment and he can’t really blame her. How would he feel if she was around Marcus? Would he even let her get that close to him? To have an actual conversation? It scares him a little to think that he might. She’s great with kids, sure, but there’s very few people on that side of his life that he lets close to Marcus. Hell, none of his inner circle have spent much time with him. But Beth was different. Rio is already in so deep that he’s not entirely sure which way is up anymore. All he knows is that every direction seems to lead back to her eventually.

* * *

Tailing Turner wasn’t the most interesting thing and Rio watched him for as long as he could. Turner spent most of the time at the police station and when he did leave, it was just to go back to his apartment. The only positive was when he brought flat pack cardboard boxes from his car into the apartment. Still, Rio kept watching him for a long time, long enough for him to know that the Boland kids would be in bed and he knows he should stay a lot longer, do his fair share of keeping an eye on Turner when they’re so close to the end but then really, he owed Beth an update, right?

After Bullet came to relieve him, Rio drove right over to her house. It was simply to update her. At least that’s what he tells himself as he walks right up to her french doors and knocks softly. The lights are on inside, so he knows she’s there, and a few moments later, he hears the click of the lock.

“Rio,” she says when she spots him.

It’s impossible not to smile at the sound of his name and he nods a little. “Gonna let me in?” She blinks like she’s only just registered that he’s actually there, and steps aside to let him in. He walks in and glances back at her. “Would’ve been by earlier but I got an update from Demon and it took longer than I thought.”

“That’s alright,” Beth says as she locks the doors again. “Things got really busy after you left anyway.”

He takes a moment to look her over. She’s in the same dress as before - knee length, flowy, flower patterned, mostly blue. Her hair is down now and the temptation to tangle his hands in it is stronger than he’s ready to admit. When she turns around, his eyes immediately go to her face. It’s still a little red, although it’s mostly around her cheeks and the tip of her nose, and it makes him smile when he remembers the sprinkling of freckles he had noticed earlier.

Slowly, his eyes travel down her, taking their time to go over every inch of her. It still amazes him that he no longer has to wonder what she feels like. Her skin is much softer than he ever imagined. He could look at her for hours, touch her too, and it’s not just that. It’s the sound of her voice and the tentative ways she touches him back and how she holds herself when she’s in those waves of confidence or when she’s sure no one is watching her. It’s everything and _fuck_ , he thinks because it really is getting that deep. 

“I was just about to take a shower,” she supplies, forcing Rio’s eyes to snap back up to hers as she closes the gap between them and he doesn’t even have a chance to respond to that because her hand is on his chest. “You could join me.”

He gulps and she must catch it because there’s a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. Her hand slowly trails along his chest as she moves past him to head to the en-suite. He turns to watch her disappear before he groans and follows on behind her.

She’s just reaching into the shower to turn it on when he steps into the bathroom. He simply stands there, watching her, even as she turns around and walks right up to him. Under the surface, he can see she’s nervous so he doesn’t move, doesn’t speak (although he’s pretty sure he wouldn’t be able to even if he tried). She places one hand against his chest, the other rests on his shoulder, and she pushes up on her tip-toes ever so slightly to kiss the wing of his tattoo. And he wants to tell her that he’s there with an update but then he’s shivering and she’s planting more kisses along his neck and suddenly, the flimsy excuse he had to rush over with means nothing.

When Beth steps back, it’s to remove her dress and then Rio’s moving, unbuttoning his shirt. He watches her as he works but as soon as her dress hits the floor, she turns away from him. His fingers stall for the briefest of moments but then she’s unhooking her bra, letting that drop to the floor as well, before she shuffles out of her panties and steps into the shower. He more than doubles his speed after that and _Christ_ he feels like a teenager because even just that glimpse has him hard and feeling like he could lose it at any moment. He stumbles a little over his buttons and then his belt (which doesn’t seem to want to come undone quick enough) before he’s also completely naked and able to follow her into the shower.

She’s standing under the spray, washing her front, with her back still to him. He grabs the bottle of body wash and pours a decent amount into his hands. He gently massages in into her shoulders, his thumbs finding those knots at the base of her neck and down between her shoulder blades. Eventually, she leans back against him, her head dropping onto his shoulder. His fingers gently skim up along her sides but before he can get too far, she lifts her head and wriggles away from him.

He can’t help the pout that forms across his face when she turns around and she bites her lip to stop from laughing. “It’s my turn.”

Rio raises a brow. “Your turn?”

Beth nods, closing the small amount of space that’s between them, forcing Rio to press himself back against the wall. She places her hands gently against his chest and leans up just enough to press a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth before her hands trail down his chest. He has to swallow as her nails lightly scratch at his skin along the way and the entire time it’s like he’s holding his breath. It doesn’t help that she suddenly wraps her fingers around him and he has to remind himself to breathe.

Her hand moves slowly at first, up and down, twisting over the tip, and it’s enough to make him feel like his dick has never been touched before especially when she begins to suck at his neck. All he can do is brace himself against the wall, his hand gripping at her hip as she presses herself against his side. His mind is racing, unable to concentrate any one thing. There’s her mouth against his neck - no doubt leaving marks that he can’t wait to see later - and her hand, now with a much tighter grip, twisting up and down over the length of hm, her thumb trailing over the tip with every stroke.

“Elizabeth,” he manages to get out.

As soon as she pulls her head back to look at him, Rio captures her lips in a kiss and he finally gets the chance to tangle his hand in her hair. He doesn’t mean to grip it so tightly, really he doesn’t, and for a moment he almost feels guilty at how hard he’s pulling at her hair but then she hisses and only increases her speed and the pressure around his dick. He pushes out a string of swear words between kisses and she actually _laughs_ , sending shivers up his spine.

He forces himself to open his eyes and look at her. There’s a hint of a smile at the corner of her mouth and her eyes are downcast. He’s hyper aware of the way his legs want to buckle around from beneath him and how his breathing is coming out short and laboured. Her hand is moving so quickly now, twisting and squeezing at just the right moments, and then her breath is hot against his neck. It’s all just enough to finally build him up to that point. 

When he drops his head down, she captures his earlobe between her teeth and tugs gently. When she lets go, she lets out a soft moan and utters his name, barely a whisper, and then suddenly Rio is coming harder and faster than he ever has before. He curses and he can vaguely feel Beth press a kiss to his shoulder. Once he’s finally able to catch his breath enough to look at her, she grins, clearly satisfied with herself and turns away from him once again to step under the spray.

“It can be your turn as often as you like,” he manages to get out between breaths.

Beth laughs and it actually makes his stomach do flips in response. “I think I like it when we take turns.”

She looks at him over her shoulder and grins before stepping out of the shower. Rio groans, running a hand over his face because _Christ_ , he likes the idea of that too. He can hear her bustling around but he’s still braced against the shower wall and he’s not entirely sure he can move just yet. Really, he’s not sure he wants to. Bliss is all he feels and even he has to laugh at the absurdity of that.

When he does eventually move, he cleans himself off a little under the spray before switching the shower off and stepping out. Beth is sat on the edge of the bath, wrapped in a towel and using a smaller one to dry off her hair. She motions with her head towards the sink. He steps towards it where he picks up the towel that’s folded neatly and wraps it around his waist. He leans back against the counter.

His eyes watch her every movement carefully. _Bliss_. He’s felt most of what he did in the shower a thousand times over and then some. Be it at someone else’s hand or even his own but there was something different this time around and it didn’t take a genius to work out that it was her. Maybe he could just chalk it up to his current attraction to her but then Rio knows it’s more than that, that their connection is something much deeper. Or at least he hopes it is and honestly, he hates himself for it. He could just ask her but then when have they ever been that upfront? And she _had_ got him arrested, fucked everything up, did he really want to jump the gun again so quickly?

“I actually came to tell you about Demon’s update,” Rio says as a way to stop his mind from spiraling and to keep that warm sense of bliss washing through him.

Beth folds the small towel up and hangs it over the edge of the bath before she looks at him. “What kind of update?”

“It’s about Turner.”

Her eyes go a little wide. “Oh. I thought you said the FBI was winding down?”

“They are,” he agrees. “Most of them are gone, it’s just Turner and his partner. I was following him earlier and if I had to guess, he’s getting ready to leave Detroit.”

“Really?”

Rio nods. “I’m gonna keep an eye on him so I might not be around for a bit but once he’s gone, we can start focusing even more on the business.”

She lets out a steady breath as she stands up. “It’ll be a relief once he’s finally out of our hair.”

“Tell me about it,” Rio says around a laugh as he walks right up to her. He wraps an arm around her waist, pulling her into him. He kisses her, slow and soft. “I can think of a way we can celebrate.”

“I’m starting to think you’re a little insatiable,” she mumbles against his lips.

He shrugs, feigning innocence. “It’s not my fault.”

Beth’s only response is to bite his bottom lip - _hard_ \- forcing a groan from Rio who pulls her in even tighter and kisses her again, this time with much more intensity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Towards the end of this chapter, I was about ready to throw my laptop at the nearest wall because my brain decided that trying to string together a coherent sentence was just impossible so I hope this all made sense. It didn't help that I chose to write this chapter from Rio's POV and I struggle with him so much but hey, at least I got to squeeze in some dad!Rio too which is always a highlight for me 😌


	10. Good News and Bad News

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get complicated with Dean and Rio shows he cares.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Friendly reminder that this fic deviates after Rio takes the money back in 2x04 :)

It was two whole days before Turner and Noah finally left Detroit and when they did, they seemed to go their separate ways. Demon followed Noah to the airport while Bullet tailed Turner for a bit as he drove out of town. Based on everything they had seen during their stakeouts, as well as the information from their man on the inside, Rio was pretty confident that the two of them were gone for good. No doubt something would bring Turner - or simply the FBI - back across his radar again but for now, they were finally free enough to really get back down to work.

And if Rio was being honest, he was looking forward to it. No doubt they could up the amount they pushed through Boland motors and if things really did continue to go well then maybe he would finally get a chance to expand into something else. He talked it through with his boys after he was sure Turner and Noah were gone, used the session as a springboard. He didn’t want to bring anything up to Beth until he was absolutely sure it was the right move and they could definitely go forward it. Plus, there was no way of knowing for sure if it would be something worth getting her involved in, especially at these early stages. He did, however, know he could tell her the good news about the FBI being gone for real.

When he shows up at her house on Wednesday night, it’s late. All of the lights seem to be off in the house but when he goes around to the back, he catches a warm glow through the kitchen window. He goes to the back door, tips the plant pot slightly and retrieves the key from underneath it in order to let himself into the house.

It’s quiet when he enters and he knows that if the kids are there, they’ll most likely be asleep. As he steps further into the house, he finds the source of the light coming from a small lamp in the TV area just outside of the kitchen. When he approaches, he spots Beth lying on the couch, fast asleep with a blanket laying haphazardly over her. As he rounds the side of it, he finds her face pressed a little into the cushion but even from his viewpoint, he can see she’s been crying.

“Elizabeth,” he says softly as he crouches down beside the couch and shakes her gently before saying again, a little more forceful this time, “ _Elizabeth_.”

It’s instant the way she snaps awake. Her eyes fly open and she scrambles to get up from the couch, almost knocking Rio over in the process. Luckily, he’s able to place his hands on her long enough to get her to sit back down and breathe. Her chest is heaving as she places her hands on his shoulders and tries to follow his examples of how to calm herself down.

“Breathe, mama,” Rio whispers as Beth presses her forehead against his own. “Nice and slow, alright?”

When her breathing finally manages to even out, he draws back enough to look at her. There are faint black and grey marks around her eyes from where she’s been crying and her lipstick is smudged as well. As his eyes scan over her, she begins to cry.

He swallows against the lump in this throat. “What happened?”

“Dean,” is all she can get out between quiet sobs and laboured breathing that he knows has the potential to turn into a panic attack.

“Alright,” he says, hand splayed out against her lower back, rubbing slow circles. “Just tell me what happened.”

Beth takes another deep breath, watching him the entire time as she does so. “We… We talked about divorce.” Another breath. “Properly talked about it. Mentioned I plan to hand over the papers soon.” Rio nods a little at that as she takes a moment. “I think he always thought it was just talk. That I would never go through with it. He seemed so… _Surprised_.”

Rio’s hand settles on her thigh and squeezes gently, making her look at him. “What’d he do?”

“He said he’s going for full custody.”

He closes his eyes for the briefest of moments because _fuck_ , he knew this would happen but now she’s crying and she seems genuinely blindsided by the whole thing. He brushes his lips softly against her cheek.

“He’s just trying to stop you from handing over the papers,” he tries to reassure her as he ignores the hammering in his chest because this is a lot. This is serious. This is real. “He’s playing you.”

“I can’t lose them, Rio, I can’t,” she says desperately, hands gripping tightly at his shirt.

“Then you _fight_ , yeah? That dumbass husband of yours don’t have a leg to stand on. You've got majority at the dealership and business is doing a hell of a lot better now. You raised those babies practically by yourself.”

“He’ll bring you up,” Beth whispers before he can go on any further.

Rio scoffs. “So?”

“He’ll bring up that you're a criminal, make it out like you’re dangerous,” she says, voice quiet, unsure. “And he’ll imply I cheated on him even though we weren’t together at the time.”

“He can’t prove shit, especially when it comes to me. Plus, he cheated. Several times.” Rio rolls his eyes a little and shakes his head because honestly, _what a dumbass_. “Not to mention he lied about having cancer, he got you into debt, almost lost your house. He don’t look so good to me.”

Beth blinks at him a few times. She’s no longer crying but she looks like she might start again at any moment. “Ex-husband.” She tries to smile and Rio raises a brow at her. “My dumbass _ex_ -husband.”

Rio grins, his heart quieting a little as he leans in and kisses her. “Yeah, that sounds much better.”

She laughs as he pulls back, already sounding much better than before. He drinks her in. The little lines that form around the corners of her mouths as she smiles, the way her eyes seem to brighten, the smudged make-up that has managed to get a whole lot worse. He grins a little at her because he’s confident she’s the most beautiful person he’s ever seen.

But then he notices it. The way she bites her lip, eyes suddenly looking anywhere but at him and he frowns. “What else happened?”

“Nothing,” she says, a little too quickly.

“Nah, ma,” he says, gently tilting her chin so she’s forced to look him in the eye. “I can tell you’re thinking about something.”

“I think you meeting the kids at the weekend had something to do with Dean’s threat,” Beth supplies after a few moments of deliberation which, Rio realises, is why she was so concerned about Dean bringing him up during their potential custody battle. “Emma told him all about how you showed her your drawing. Kenny was raving about you. Jane said you seemed nice and Danny, well, he didn’t really say much, but I could see how much Dean hated it.”

“Yeah, he seemed a little quiet,” Rio notes, trying to shift the topic a little so that she won’t fall back to crying. He knows that it really isn’t a problem. Corrupt as the system might be at times, with a good enough lawyer there’s no way she’s losing her kids.

“That’s just Danny,” she says softly. “Trust me, once he warms up to someone, it’s impossible to keep him quiet for long.”

Rio blinks a few times, trying to ignore the way his heart picks up speed a little again. “You want him to warm up to me?”

“Oh.” And her eyes go a little wide like she’s just realised what she’s said. “ _Oh_. I… Well… I don’t know _but_ I just want you to know that my kids do like you and I didn’t want to bring it up that Dean was upset by the whole thing because I’m not picking again. They like you and no matter what is going on between us, I know you wouldn't stoop so low as to hurt them.”

“Yeah, I ain’t like that,” Rio growls because he knows that’s _exactly_ what Dean thinks of him and he hates it even more that it bothers him.

“I know,” Beth insists, reaching up to gently touch his cheek. “Dean didn’t give a shit about you until he started to lose control. I mean, he started faking cancer right after I told him to leave and he thought we’d been sleeping together. He just didn’t want you to have me and when he realised you might, he just… He wanted me again.”

He softens a little and smirks. “I’ve got you, huh?”

She blushes a little and looks startled all over again. “I…” She holds her head up high a little. “Well, _he_ certainly doesn’t have me.”

Rio laughs at that and Beth smiles a little triumphantly as she gets up from the couch. He follows her as she leads the way to her bedroom. And, once inside, he settles on the bed and lays back, an arm slung over his face as she goes into the bathroom with some actual sleepwear to change into. He can hear her bustling around in there and after a bit, she gasps.

In an instant, he’s sitting up, listening out. He’s ready to move but a second later she sticks her head out of the open en-suite door. She’s looking at him accusingly, eyes narrowed.

“Why didn’t you tell me I look so… So… _Awful_?”

Rio doesn’t get a chance to respond because she’s back in the bathroom again and the water is running. He chuckles softly as he falls back onto the bed. _Fuck, Dean_ , Rio thinks, especially when he hears splashing and then Beth groaning in frustration. He can’t hold back his smile as he gets up from the bed and wanders over to the en-suite where he leans against the doorframe and watches her. As she attempts to scrub her make-up off, he feels a mixture of amused and intrigued and he really can’t understand how the hell someone could just let her go like that.

When she seems to have gotten it all off, she turns off the tap, pats her face dry with a face towel, and reaches for one of her creams. She dots it around her face and just as she begins to rub it in, Rio slips behind her and wraps his arms around her.

“I’m mad at you,” she says but her smile says something different.

“Can’t tell you you look awful if you don’t,” he points out. “I don’t lie.”

She scoffs as she turns around to face him. “Oh. Please. I looked-”

But Rio cuts her off with a kiss. He can’t tell her that she’s beautiful, for some reason that just seems a bit much all at once, especially after seeing her panic so much before. So he wraps an arm tightly around her, pulling her into him as much as possible, and puts as much into the kiss as he can, hoping to tell her that way instead.

When he does finally pull away, her eyes are closed and her mouth parted slightly. It slowly turns into a smile and as she opens her eyes, his roam over her. When it looks like she might say something else, he leans in and kisses her again, this time a lot softer.

“You’re impossible,” she huffs but her voice is bright.

“Yeah, well, can’t have you insinuating that I’m a liar,” he mumbles, kissing her quickly. 

“Plus, I got some news that might cheer you up.”

She leans back a little to look at him properly. “Oh?”

“Turner’s gone.”

“Oh,” she repeats, more surprised this time. “Are you sure?”

“Hmm.” He nods a little. “Bullet followed him for a bit after he left Detroit and I got a guy down in Baltimore who spotted him arriving home.”

“That’s… _Good_.”

“His partner’s gone too,” Rio continues. “Demon followed him to the airport. He could’ve slipped away but I doubt it.”

“They’re not going to give up though,” Beth points out.

He shrugs. “Don’t really matter. FBI’s been on my back for a while so long as we get some distance, we’ll be fine.”

“Right… So, what does that mean for us?” She clears her throat a little before hurrying to clarify. “What does that mean for the business?”

Rio licks at his lips, a smirk forming. “Definitely going to push more money through. Arkin will keep checking the books and let us know when’s the best time.”

“And after that?” He raises a brow and she rolls her eyes a little. “I mean, you’ve been cleaning money since I met you, I just figured you’d want to…” She rolls her hand a little. “Flip your game.”

He can’t help but look amused. “Flip my game, huh?”

“Well, you made it sound like a must when you told us about it at the park,” Beth insists. “I got the impression you didn’t do anything for too long.”

He tries not to smile as he presses a kiss to her cheek where a blush is starting to form. “Yeah, I got some things in mind. You’ll know when I know.”

“Uh-huh.” And she doesn’t sound convinced but her blush is only getting deeper.

“Sorry I woke you before.”

She shrugs a little. “Sorry I almost knocked you over in my panic.” He tries to catch her eye but she’s refusing to look at him. “I, uh, I thought it was Dean coming back to try and take the kids. He was pretty close to taking them earlier.”

Rio’s hand instinctively tightens and he doesn’t notice how hard until she yelps suddenly at the feeling of his fingers digging into her side. “Sorry,” he mumbles, instantly loosening his grip. “They here?”

“Asleep upstairs.” Tears start to spring to her eyes again. “I think Kenny could sense something was going on but I’m not too sure about the others. They just wanted to go to their rooms.”

“You still tired?” he asks as a distraction.

“A little,” she admits.

“Well, you go to bed,” he tells her, gently tucking her hair behind her ear. “I’ll lock up on my way out.”

He tries to pull away but before he can get too far, her hand grips his arm and tries to hold him in place. His eyes dart down and then up to find hers. He raises a brow and that blush of hers somehow gets deeper as she lets go of him.

She goes to open her mouth when a little voice from inside her bedroom, interrupts them. “Mama?”

Rio takes a step back so she can slip away. He follows her out in the bedroom, where Emma is stood by her bed. She’s yawning, a stuffed rabbit clutched to her chest. Rio stays back by the en-suite door while Beth softy shakes her head, before walking towards Emma.

“What’s wrong, sweetie?”

“I couldn’t get back to sleep.” Emma pouts. “Can I sleep with you?”

“Want me to rub your back?” The little girl nods and Beth tilts her head in the direction of the bed. “Go on then.”

The grin that comes in response is blinding and Emma immediately scrambles onto the bed, settling under the covers, back against the pillows, right in the middle. She has the bunny still clasped to her chest and it takes her a moment to notice him standing there.

“Rio!” she calls happily.

Beth looks over her shoulder at him, clearly a little conflicted but then she smiles so Rio steps a little further into the room. “Hey, Rabbit. What you doing up?”

She smiles shyly, dropping her voice to a whisper. “I needed to pee.”

Rio tries not to smile. “Ahh. Your bunny too?”

Emma looks down at it sitting in her lap. “His name’s Carl.”

“Hey, Carl.”

She giggles and makes the bunny wave its hand which Rio returns. “Why are you here?”

“Came to see your mama,” Rio says, clocking the way Beth looks between them.

Emma suddenly beckons him closer. He glances at Beth who shrugs a little so he moves over and sits on the edge of the bed. He’s motioned to come a little closer. He leans down so she can speak quietly to him.

“She was sad before,” Emma notes, hugging Carl close. “He was angry.”

It doesn’t take a genius to work out that ‘he’ means Dean. “Your mama’s gonna be just fine, alright?”

She nods a little but she doesn’t look too convinced. “Why was my dad angry?”

Rio chews on his lip, contemplating how exactly to answer that question because she’s looking expectantly at him. Not answering at all doesn’t seem like much of an option. He considers turning back to Beth, Emma is her kid after all, but he can tell the little girl has been too afraid to ask and clearly wants to keep Beth out of it.

In the end, she speaks again before he can say anything. “Was it me?”

He tilts his head to the side, watching as she pouts. “Why’d you think that, Rabbit?”

“I told him I liked your drawing,” she whispers. “He looked mad.”

“You didn’t do anything,” Rio says, voice stern enough in the hopes that she knows he’s being serious. “Your dad loves you and he _was_ angry but not at you.”

She hugs Carl even closer, impossibly so. “I don’t like it when she’s sad.”

Rio leans in just a little and drops his voice to a whisper. “How good are you at keeping secrets?”

Her face lights up ever so slightly. “Really good.”

“I don’t like it when she’s sad either,” Rio tells her, reaching over to gently boop Carl’s nose and then Emma’s. She smiles and twists away to bury her face into the pillow for a moment. He knows full well that Beth can probably hear every single word they’re saying but he keeps on like she can’t. “But you know what I know?”

Emma looks a little past him as if checking to see if Beth is listening before she looks back at him. “No.”

“There’s nothing to worry about because your mama’s tough.” He smiles because it’s entirely true. If he knows anything, he knows how capable Beth is of being able to pick herself back up every time she’s knocked down. Emma nods enthusiastically at the statement, clearly in agreement. “Now you, Rabbit, should be asleep.”

“Are you going?”

Rio’s heart clenches a little at how genuinely sad she seems to be about it. “Yeah, Rabbit, but I’ll see you again real soon, yeah?”

“I hope so,” Emma says around a yawn before she finally closes her eyes.

Rio waits until he’s sure she’s asleep before he gets up. He adjusts the covers around her ever so slightly, watching as she instinctively hugs Carl closer to her chest. He rolls his eyes a little - _Carl_ \- he has to laugh. When he finally turns around, Beth is nowhere to be found so he wanders over to the en-suite.

She’s stood in front of the mirror, her face in her hands. When she finally drops them, she clocks him but doesn’t move. She’s begun to cry again. It’s calmer this time, more controlled, but he can see the tears running down her cheeks.

“That means Danny and Jane probably clocked on too,” Beth notes, voice breaking slightly. “I… I don’t… _God_. She blamed herself.”

“She’s alright now,” Rio tries to reassure as he steps into the room and closes the door behind him. “She’s fast asleep.”

“I was so upset that I didn’t question when they wanted to go upstairs,” Beth explains, taking slow breaths as she does. “I should have checked. I didn’t even bother when I put them to bed. I was just so adamant to get downstairs so they wouldn’t see me cry but they saw how sad I was anyway.”

“You weren’t to know,” Rio says. “And it was him that did this.”

He steps closer to her, wrapping his arms around her so that her shoulder is pressed against the centre of his chest. He kisses her temple and she leans into him ever so slightly.

“Got something that might make you feel better about it all.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, the number for a lawyer.”

Beth wriggles away from him just enough so she can look up at him. “A lawyer?”

He nods. “Yeah, just in case. My lawyer should know one. Pretty sure I could find one that don’t cost a fortune.”

She chews on her lip, thinking it over. “I.. I don’t want this to go to court.”

“I know.” He rubs slow circles against her lower back. “It don’t hurt to be prepared though. They could help you with the paperwork, make sure everything’s good. It don’t have to go to court.”

He watches her carefully. It’s clear she’s considering it over, probably going over the pros and cons in her head. Slowly, she lets out a breath and nods. “Okay. I’d appreciate it if you could get a number.”

He nuzzles the side of her face, kissing her cheek softly. “Don’t worry, yeah? You got this.”

* * *

The next morning is a flurry of trying to get the kids ready for school and also checking in on them. Waking up to Emma jumping on the bed beside her was an all too real reminder of what she had heard the night before. She forced herself to talk to the four of them about her fight with Dean. She did her best to reassure them that it wasn’t their fault, just like Rio had done with Emma, and to also make the point that she and Dean both loved them all.

Granted, it wasn’t very hard. Her three youngest just seemed relieved that Dean wasn’t angry at them and that things were okay and while Kenny clearly had suspicions, he simply nodded. It was hard and she had to bite the inside of her cheek on more than one occasion during their conversation but she got through it with a hopeful smile because she really had dropped the ball by not checking in on them sooner.

However, now that Beth had really slept and got the uncontrollable need to cry out of her system, she felt angry and even a little fed up. As she shows up at Boland Motors after dropping the kids off at school, it becomes apparent there’s going to be no way to avoid Dean, especially with him standing right by the door waiting for her. She takes a deep breath, trying to quench the growing anger because she really doesn’t want to deal with him this early in the morning. Making her way over to the building, she tries to prepare herself for how this conversation might go.

“Can we talk?” he asks as soon as she gets through the door.

“Uh, sure,” Beth says, glancing around. There’s no one particularly close to them but it’s still busy enough inside the showroom. “We can do it right here.”

“I was thinking my office would be better?” He motions in the general direction of it.

“Here’s fine,” she says, trying to make her voice as firm as possible. Her hope is that with there being people nearby, the conversation won’t go completely downhill like their last one. When he doesn’t seem to want to budge, she decides to force him. “Emma was upset last night because I was and because she thought she was the reason you were angry.” Dean blinks a few times, opening and closing his mouth as he tries to process that. “And before you say anything, she knows I’m fine and I didn’t put any blame on you, I just told her you weren’t angry at her. I’m just saying, the whole thing has me exhausted so can you _please_ just say what you’ve got to say.”

There’s a barely a beat before he relents. “I got a lawyer.”

Beth just stares at him a moment, trying to process that information. She shakes her head, silently hoping that what Rio said yesterday actually pulls through. “So did I.”

“Oh. Well, uh-”

“Are you really going to take the kids from me?” Beth cuts in.

“I don’t _want_ to,” Dean says although she can’t tell for sure if he means it. “But I do want to do what’s right by them.”

She frowns. “What does that even mean?”

“It means that until we sort out a custody agreement, I won’t be signing any divorce papers.” He shuffles a little like he’s uncomfortable and if Beth’s being honest, she’s never wanted to punch him more than she does now. “My lawyer’s coming here at lunch time, you’re welcome to join us so we can start figuring this out.”

“My lawyer won’t be able to make that.” She’s not even sure that Rio could get her a number that quickly. “It’s too short notice.”

“Well, the offer is still there,” Dean says as he scratches the back of his neck, refusing to look her in the eye. “You can just tell your lawyer everything and we’ll meet again to talk about it properly.”

Beth bites her lip and nods. “I’ll be there.”

Without waiting for a response from Dean, she heads right over to her office where, once she’s inside, she closes the door and all of blinds to shut everything out. Leaning back against the door, she takes a few breaths. The urge to throw something, to _break_ something, is beginning to overwhelm her but she knows that she can’t lose it now. It’ll only be more ammunition for Dean to use. That’s when it hits her and she quickly scrambles to get her phone out of her bag.

She calls Rio but he doesn’t pick up. Sitting behind her desk she tries a few more times but each time it just goes straight to voicemail. If he comes to the dealership it could make things worse. Before, Dean was just pissed but now he has a lawyer. Going for the next best thing, Beth texts him.

**B:** If you’re thinking of coming to the dealership today… Don’t.

**B:** I mean it.

The reply takes a good ten minutes or so but she feels relieved when he actually responds to her.

**R:** What’s wrong?

**B:** Rio.

**R:** Yeah, I won’t come. Now answer the question.

**B:** Dean got a lawyer. They’re meeting here at lunch to discuss things and he said I could be there.

Another few minutes pass and then her phone begins to ring. She quickly picks it up and before she has a chance to speak, Rio beats her to it.

“I’m gonna get that number today, alright?”

“Thank you.” Relief washes over her at the fact that she won’t have to lie about having a lawyer for too much longer. “I told Dean I already had one and no doubt today will be the first of many meetings.”

“He not backing down?”

“He said he won’t sign the divorce papers until we sort out a custody agreement,” she explains. “I have a feeling I’m not going to agree with what he has to suggest.”

“Don’t say too much today, yeah?” Rio tells her. “Keep a note of everything important for the lawyer.”

“And you’re sure you can find one?”

“Ma, I got it.”

“Thank you,” she tells him again. “I mean it.”

“It’s just a number.” And she likes that she can tell he’s smiling. “I gotta go but I’ll be in touch.”

She whispers a goodbye just before the phone goes dead and as she tosses it onto her desk, she puts her head back and closes her eyes. There are a million different things running through her mind. Her fight with Dean and the upcoming meeting with his lawyer are the forefront of it and it’s just making everything worse.

* * *

When Beth walks into Dean’s office, she has to stop herself from rolling her eyes. He’s sat behind his desk but he’s leaning on it with his attention completely on the woman sitting across him. All she can see from her position is that the woman is blonde, white, and slim but as the door clicks shut, the woman turns and Beth notes how pretty she is. She stands almost immediately and holds her hand out.

As Beth shakes it, she introduces herself. “Alex Stone.”

“Nice to meet you, Ms Stone.”

“And you Mrs Boland.” Before Beth has much of a chance to do anything, Alex sits down and pushes forward with the meeting. “So, Mr Boland was telling me that divorce is on the table but sorting out custody is the number one priority. Is that right?”

Beth wanders closer and drops into the vacant seat and does everything to not look at Dean. She keeps what Rio said in mind and readies herself to remember every detail.

“Yes,” Beth agrees. “I think figuring that out would be best for the kids.”

“Well, I don’t have too long, this will be a very quick meeting but we won’t discuss too much today anyway considering your lawyer isn’t here,” Alex explains. “But we’ll get the basics down and set up another meeting.” She looks at Beth and then to Dean. “That sound okay with everyone?”

“Sounds good to me,” Dean says.

His voice is a little higher than normal and Beth has to stop herself yet again from rolling her eyes. Instead, she smiles. “Sounds perfect.”

“Joint custody is something I’m guessing you’re both okay with?”

“I am,” Beth says, before quickly adding, “I think the kids would love it.”

“Joint custody sounds great,” Dean agrees. “Although…”

Beth instantly looks at him but Alex is speaking before she can say anything. “Although, Mr Boland?”

“I wonder if the kids would be better off with me,” Dean says. He’s looking anywhere but at Beth and it makes her blood boil. Last night he was angrily telling her about taking the kids and now he’s acting like it’s a difficult thing for him? She doesn’t believe it for a second. “My wife has company that I don’t like hanging around them and I don’t think it’s very safe.”

“He’s barely been around them,” Beth defends. “In fact, I’m sure he’s been around them just as much as any of the women you’ve been carrying on with. Unless the kids spent time with Amber? Or Angela? Or, what were the others’ names again?”

Beth makes sure her voice is gentle like she’s just making a point and not having a dig to show his more messed up side. From the look on Alex’s face, it’s clear this information is new to her but she hides it fairly quickly. “Well, let’s not get into that too much now. Mr Boland and I will discuss it all in private before our next meeting.” She picks up her briefcase which sits down on the floor beside her seat and stands. “In fact, why don’t you do the same Mrs Boland? Both of you figure out what you want by the end of this and we’ll see if it anything matches up when we’re next together.”  
  
“And if nothing matches up?” Beth asks as she also stands up.

“Then we’ll work to find common ground,” Alex explains with a smile. “Your husband and I have already talked about keeping this as far away from the courts as possible so if we can come to an agreement, we can do that.”

No court is exactly what Beth wants so she nods. “That sounds great. Thank you, Ms Stone.”

“Mrs Boland.” She gives a slight nod of her head. “I’ll be in touch with both of you to sort out that next meeting.”

As she leaves the room, Beth doesn’t hesitate to follow behind. She doesn’t want to be in the same room as Dean for even a second longer. She knows bringing up his infidelities like that could back fire on her but the fact that he clearly hadn’t brought it up before now tells Beth that he’s worried that it’ll wreck his case. She doesn’t want to but, as she locks herself back in her office, Beth decides that if she has to play dirty, she will.

* * *

She’s barely been in her office an hour when Annie and Ruby show up and all Beth can feel is relief at a much-needed distraction (and even more reasons to avoid Dean). They clock something’s wrong as soon as they walk in but thankfully, they sit down in the two seats across from her at her desk and don’t immediately ask what’s up.

“I met with Dean and his lawyer a little over an hour ago,” she finally says, breaking the silence.

They both gawk at her but it’s Ruby that speaks. “He got a lawyer?”

She nods. “I’m getting one too. Hopefully.”

“You don’t sound so sure,” Annie points out.

“Rio says his lawyer knows some people so I’m just waiting for him to get me a number,” Beth explains. “As of right now, we’re aiming for joint custody but Dean mentioned because of the _company_ I keep, it might be best that he gets full custody, you know, for the kid's safety.”

Ruby tries to give her a reassuring smile. “I mean, he’s clearly desperate but that doesn’t mean he actually has a chance.”

“Yeah, Rio told me not to worry about it all.”

“He did, huh?” Ruby says with a hint of amusement at the same time that Annie says, “how’s gang friend so involved?”

“He came round last night to tell me something,” Beth supplies, looking away from them.

“Tell you what?” Annie asks, brow raised as she shares a look with Ruby. 

“Apparently the FBI are gone for good, Turner and his partner just left town,” Beth explains. “He came to tell me and it was after Dean and I had a fight.  


“The FBI are gone?” Ruby asks, eyes wide.

Annie blinks a few times. “You and Dean had a fight?”

Beth takes a deep breath as she looks at them. It really had been a long time since she properly caught them up on certain topics and she feels a little guilty for it. Really, it was down to the fact that she let her guard down and it didn’t seem like there was any rush to provide updates. Cleaning the money was going really well and she always kept them up to date on that as well as the kids. She also knew what was going on in their lives but when it came to Rio and her marriage, she really hadn’t spoken to them much at all about it.

“The FBI investigation is one hundred percent closed down,” Beth tells them. “Rio is considering upping up the whole money situation and using the dealership more. That’ll probably lead to something else.”

Ruby nods her head a little. “Instead of the money?”

“Maybe,” Beth supplies although really, she’s not entirely sure. “Or maybe as well as. I think it depends really.”

“And the fight?” Ruby enquires.

“After the bake sale on Sunday, Rio came to the house and the kids came inside while he was there,” Beth starts. “He met all of them - Emma mostly - and it seemed to go well but all of them told Dean about it yesterday.”

Annie whistles as she slouches in her seat. “Yeah, I bet that went horribly.”

“Yeah,” Beth agrees. “He threatened full custody and I got upset. Rio showed up later that night.” As the two of them give each other a curious look, she hurries on. “He just told me that everything would be alright and offered to get me a number for a lawyer.”

“And?” Annie prompts and when Beth frowns, her sister rolls her eyes. “Come on, I know there’s something more.”

Beth chews on her bottom lip for a moment, debating on whether or not to tell them about Emma waking up. In the end, she decides it’s best to. “Emma came downstairs and asked to sleep with me. She ended up speaking to Rio and she told him that me being upset, made her upset.”

“Well, she’s always been like that,” Annie says, trying to sound optimistic.

“Uh huh,” Ruby agrees. “Danny too.”

“I know, I know, and Rio actually reassured her.” That earns another curious look shared between Annie and Ruby. “But she also thought that Dean was angry at her. Rio made sure she knew that that wasn’t the case but just for a moment, it was horrifying to hear her blame herself.”

“Look, it sucks, especially when they’re so young and you gotta explain it to them without actually explaining it but, _wow_ ,” Ruby whistles. “So, you and homeboy are really hitting it hard, huh?”

“We’re not… I…” Beth blinks a few times. “What?”

“She’s not talking about the sex although we’re sure that hits hard,” Annie clarifies which instantly makes Beth turn a vibrant shade of red. “We’re talking about in general.” She looks to Ruby. “Right?”

Ruby nods and Beth is actually thankful for the turn in the conversation. She knows constantly going over what happened won’t help anything. “Yeah, I mean, he’s met the kids and he’s actually taking the time to reassure them? Sounds like more than just a good time.”

That reminds Beth of parts of his conversation with Emma and it makes her blush again. Annie clocks it and instantly sits forward. “What was that? Why are you blushing?”

“It’s nothing.” Beth waves them off. “I just… Blush really easily, okay?”

“Nope.” Annie shakes her head. “Not buying it. Spill. What else happened?”

“When Emma said that she doesn’t like it when I’m sad,” Beth starts, eyes darting down so she doesn’t have to look at them. “He said that he doesn’t like it when I’m sad either. I mean, it was probably just to reassure her-”

Annie scoffs, cutting her off and Beth’s eyes snap back up to see Ruby rolling her eyes and her sister giving her a disbelieving look. “Oh, come on.

“Yeah, B, we told you before that it’s clearly more than just business,” Ruby adds. “He’s definitely caught some kind of feelings.”

“And of course you’re the only one who doesn’t seem to have noticed.”

Beth just stares at them willing for her brain to work again so she can answer them. Feelings? She knows she's had this similar conversation with Annie and Ruby before and in retrospect, it’s not too much of a stretch of the imagination but with Rio it really is hard to tell anything for sure. Maybe all of his recent behaviour was just her seeing a different side to him, it didn’t necessarily mean that there was something serious between. In fact, the more she thinks about, the more Beth realises that she might not be entirely ready for something so serious or so deep, especially with the divorce being put on hold.

“I don’t know about that and I don’t know what it is between us,” Beth admits. “And I’m not sure I want to know. With everything going on with Dean and this whole custody thing, I don’t really have the energy to worry about what’s going on with Rio and I. Plus, business should be picking up soon so I’d rather focus on that.”

“So you’re okay with things being casual?” Annie asks and when Beth nods, she asks, “even if he ends up seeing other people?”

Beth tries to ignore the way her stomach tightens uncomfortably at the very thought but she pushes it down because if she’s not ready to have that conversation with him then she can’t expect him to just see her exclusively. “He can see whoever he likes.”

Neither of them looks convinced but they both nod and it’s a few moments before they lapse into a comfortable conversation that manages to stay far away from the topics of Rio, Dean, and the upcoming custody battle.

* * *

For the rest of the day, Beth is able to stay pretty locked up in her office. Paper work demands her attention and her door is only knocked on a handful of times, none of them by Dean which she’s thankful for. In fact, she’s able to completely avoid him.

It’s another hour before she has to get the kids when someone knocks on her door again. She looks up. “Come in.”

A moment later, the door opens and Arkin steps into the room, closing it behind him. He offers up a smile. “Hey, Mrs-” But he cuts himself off. “Hey.”

Beth rolls her eyes a little. “You can still call me Mrs B, Arkin.”

He rubs the back of his neck. “Not according to the guy who actually pays me.”

“You let me worry about Rio,” Beth comments.

Arkin smirks. “I’d love to see that.”

She shakes her head a little as she tries not to smile. “Plus, my divorce is on hold for a little bit so you’re still technically right.”

“Oh.” He frowns. “Everything alright?”

“Everything’s fine.” Pushing away from her desk, she motions for him to continue on. He gets what he needs and settles behind her desk while she sits opposite him. “Dean wants to sort out custody first and we’re not exactly in agreement. He won’t sign the papers until we do agree.”

“Sounds like an asshole,” Arkin mumbles as he types away at the computer. Beth raises a brow and he looks a little sheepish. “Sorry.”

“No,” Beth says, waving him off. “I actually don’t think 'asshole' is a strong enough word.”

He grins at her. “I get why the boss likes you so much.”

“What makes you think he likes me?” Beth asks because she’s genuinely curious and she’s pretty proud at the fact that Arkin’s comment hadn’t made her blush for the umpteenth time.

He shrugs. “Known him a long time. He’s different around you compared to other people he’s worked with but he’s also the exact same around you like he is with people he’s close with. If that makes sense?”

“How is he with people he’s close to?”

“Well, it’s complicated,” Arkin says.

Beth huffs out a breath. “ _He’s_ complicated.”

Arkin smiles. “Don’t I know it but nah, I mean, it depends on the person. He’s as open as he can be around his kid but that level of openness varies depends on the person but the fact remains that he _can_ be open, y’know? With people he just works with or doesn’t think highly of, he won’t be open at all.”

And she thinks of Rio’s comment about how he hates to see her upset. He must have known she would hear him but he said it anyway. With Arkin mentioning he likes her and her earlier conversation with Annie and Ruby, she considers the fact that he actually meant it.

“That makes sense,” Beth says.

“In reality, he’s just kind of private. Known him my whole life but I’m sure there’s a ton of things about him that could surprise. It’s more subtle things, y’know?” Arkin gives her a brief smile before focusing back on the computer. “Whether he makes time for you or not is a starter. You can tell which of his boys he cares about outside of work. He’ll drop money on them in little ways or do something extra for them that won’t give him anything in return or he gives them first jump at opportunities or actually listen to them talk about their lives.”

She blinks a few times because the whole ‘doing something extra’ thing really sticks out. She thinks about how he stuck around the night before to make sure she was okay and to not only reassure her but Emma too. He did’n’t have to do any of that. He certainly doesn’t have to look for a lawyer for her. It might just be a number but considering he probably has a high powered lawyer himself, Beth can guess that said lawyer has some pretty decent contacts.

“And he does that with you?” Beth asks in order to pull herself out of her thoughts.

“Yeah,” Arkin agrees, still very much focused on the work he’s doing. “He doesn’t give me many opportunities, I guess he doesn’t want me too involved but when I do work for him he’ll do little things like buy me food to get me through a busy night or let me crash at his place if things run late. He even pays me way more than my work is probably worth and he definitely lets me complain about my ma a lot.” He looks up at her. “She had me pretty late in life. She’s in her sixties now, which I know isn’t that old, but she’s got this shitty paying job and I worry, y’know? Rio listens to me talk about it and the extra money he drops on me for each job helps too.”

Beth can’t help but smile at the warmth that moves through her. She also makes a mental note to talk to Rio about getting Arkin more involved with the dealership. “Sounds like he cares a lot.”

Arkin hums in agreement. “Cares about you too.”

She watches him carefully. “How could you possibly know that?”

“Talks about you a good amount and he gets this weird kind of look on his face when he’s watching you like he’s trying to figure you out but at the same time he doesn’t really care _what_ he figures out, just enjoys knowing because nothing he finds out could be bad.” He says it all like it’s simple and Beth just blinks at him a few time as he digs into his pocket and slides a piece of paper towards her. “Plus, he gave me this to give to you.”

Beth unfolds the paper and sees a name - Diane Novak - and a number scrawled onto it. She realises then that it must be the lawyer and no doubt that Arkin knows that too. There it is, that extra thing again. “None of that means he cares.”

The look Arkin gives her is one of complete disbelief. “I know you got him arrested.”

“Oh. I, uh, I…” And she doesn’t quite know what to say to that.

“It’s cool.” He shrugs. “But that’s kind of the point. Rio would never be so cool about something like that.”

Her eyes go a little wide as she recounts the events that followed her mistake. “Well, I mean, he did shoot Dean after the fact to punish me.”

From the look on Arkin’s face, it’s clear he knew that detail. “Yeah but that should’ve been the end of it. I get that the feds knocking about probably meant there was work to be done with but you guys went your separate ways, right?”

Beth nods. “Yeah, for about six months. I decided I didn’t want the keys to the kingdom or to be that involved and so he took his money and left.”

“Why’d he come back?”

“You seem to know everything else,” Beth points out.

Arkin smiles softly and she can see a blush start to form that makes her smile in return. “I just listen but there’s things he doesn’t tell me.”

“It was unintentional,” Beth supplies. “But he saw I was upset at something and so he went digging.”

“And he stuck around,” Arkin adds. “Now you’re working together again. I don’t know many people Rio would jump back into bed with after they got him arrested.” This time, Beth can’t help the way she blushes and Arkin smirks. “And I guess I should mean ‘jumping back into bed’ in more than one context.”

She narrows her eyes a little at him. “You’re too observant.”

“Hard not to be,” Arkin quips. “Could see that blush from outer space.”

Beth gapes at him but it slowly turns to a laugh as he tries to hide his smile. “Well, if it’s anything, I get why Rio likes you.”

This time he doesn’t hide his smile. “I’m very lovable.”

And Beth doesn’t have an argument for that because while it sounds like he’s joking, it’s true. She leans back in her seat as they fall into silence. Arkin clicks away at his keyboard and Beth considers him carefully. He really doesn’t seem entirely like the kind of person she would expect Rio to associate with. Arkin may not be constantly talking but he can be talkative and it’s clear that when he’s comfortable, he’s not shy either. It amuses her to think about what the two of them might be like when they’re together and not talking about work. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't plan for the FBI to be a problem and they should stay gone for the rest of this fic but there will be two conflicts coming up. One is Dean and the whole divorce/custody situation and the other is more business-related as Beth and Rio eventually move onto drugs just like they did in the show (although how that goes down will, of course, be different in this fic) :)


	11. Joint VS Primary

Diane Novak had thankfully been within Beth’s budget and she was also more than willing to accept the work. She had quickly become a saving grace although Beth admittedly didn’t think too much of her when they first met. Diane was short, her entire wardrobe seemed to consist only of blacks, whites, and greys with the occasional hint of blue, and her hair (which was long and a dark shade of brown) was pulled back into a sleek ponytail. Absolutely nothing about her stood out and for a moment, Beth worried if that would translate into their meetings with Dean and his lawyer but she quickly shook those thoughts away.

She was fairly confident that Rio wouldn’t have recommended Diane if she wasn’t good at her job and within a minute, maybe less, of talking to her, Beth knew she was paying the right the person. It’s a week and a half after she got Diane’s number and the two of them are in Dean’s office sitting across from him and Alex. It’s the second meeting they’ve had as a group and Diane has already assured Beth that they’re good for what Dean will inevitably bring up.

“So, Mr Boland,” Diane starts, glancing first at Alex and then to him. “Are you still leaning towards primary custody?”

His answer is instant. “Yes.”

“And we really think we should be moving these meetings over to discuss how that would work,” Alex adds. “Mr Boland _wants_ Mrs Boland to see her kids and the quicker we can sort out an agreement for that, the quicker everyone can get adjusted.”

“Mrs Boland?” Diane asks, turning her head ever so slightly.

Beth can just see the corners of her mouth about to turn up because they both know exactly what she thinks of that. “I’m still leaning towards joint custody.”

“Bethie, I really-” Dean tries to say.

“So, let’s figure out how we can get to _that_ agreement,” Diane cuts in. “Mrs Boland was saying after our last meeting that she really thinks joint custody will be the easiest for the kids to adjust to. It’ll make them feel less like they’re having to choose. Everyone wins.”

“Yes, that’s right,” Beth says with a slight nod of her head. She’s sick of making herself sound so gentle when all she wants to do is reach across and rip Dean’s head clean off but she bites the inside of her cheek and manages to keep herself in check.

“Well, Mr Boland has some concerns about the safety of his children.”

“And what might they be?” Diane asks, expression open despite already knowing exactly what his issues are.

“The company his wife is keeping,” Alex says, glancing at Beth as she does so. “A criminal.”

“And you have proof of this?”

“We’re working on it,” Alex admits but she doesn’t seem open to giving out much information. “And we all know he was arrested not too long ago so let’s not pretend like there isn’t room for genuine concern here.”

“He was also released,” Diane points out and Beth watches her carefully, waiting to see where she’s planning to go next. “And I’m sure we’ve all heard the stories. Associated with gangs… Is the leader of one, a kingpin perhaps. Entertaining stories but stories nonetheless.”

“The FBI is looking into him,” Dean points out and Beth is happy to see that earns him a stern look from Alex.

“Are they?” Diane asks, eyes widening a little in mock surprise. “Last I heard, the FBI has closed their investigation down. Clearly, that led nowhere either.”

Dean blinks a few times and it’s clear he didn’t know that but Alex doesn’t look phased at all. “We’re still going to be looking into him. And if we find _anything_ that could prove the Boland kids are in danger, we won’t be kind with this custody agreement.”

“By all means, look into him. In fact, I know his lawyer, we play tennis together sometimes,” Diane notes. “Gretchen Zorada. Maybe I could talk to her? See if she can help us out, make this whole thing a lot easier.”

Beth definitely doesn’t miss the way Alex seems to pale ever so slightly at the mention of Rio’s lawyer. She does, however, recover quickly and coughs a little to clear her throat. “Maybe but the fact still remains, this might not work out well for you, Mrs Boland.”

“Even if there’s no proof that Rio’s done the things he’s being accused of?” Beth asks because she can’t help herself.

“It doesn’t matter what they can prove, Bethie,” Dean says. “I _know_ he’s danger so while he’s around, the kids should be with me.”

“Well, it seems like we’re about to run in circles,” Diane says as she stands up, Beth following suit. “I’ll have Gretchen contact you to see how we can speed all that along. We’re still very interested in joint custody but if you want to fight for primary custody, Mr Boland, we won’t be treading lightly either.” Without waiting for a response, she heads for the door with Beth following close behind. Diane doesn’t even look back as she says, “we’ll set up another meeting once you’re done with your little investigation.”

They walk across the showroom. A few employees turn to face them as they do and Beth is sure they all know what is going on, at least to some extent. She’s already assured them that the obvious lawyers walking around have nothing to do with the business and they seem to believe her. It’s really not a lot of guesswork to figure out what else they would be doing at the dealership, especially when so far they’ve only ever spoken with her and Dean.

Once they’re outside, they head straight for Diane’s car. When they get there, she throws her bag onto the passenger seat and turns around to face Beth. “Are you okay, Mrs Boland?”

“Beth,” she whispers before clearing her throat and speaking a little louder. “You might as well get used to calling me Beth. It seems this is going to take a while.”

“I doubt it,” Diana says.

She frowns at that. “Why do you doubt it?”

“I don’t know if you’ve ever met her but Gretchen Zorada is ruthless,” Diane explains. “Damn good at her job.”

Beth didn’t know that but it’s hardly surprising if she’s Rio’s lawyer. “Is that why you offered to contact her?”

“I knew that Ms Stone would realise that if Gretchen is as good as her reputation says then they’re not going to find a single thing on Rio.” Diane smiles a little and Beth quickly realises that it’s in response to her own smile. “All there will be is _maybe_ some arrest history but everyone knows what happened. He’s out and free. If he has any kind of record it’s most likely from before he hired Gretchen and they’ve been working together for a long time. It also helps that the FBI had to shut down an entire investigation because it didn’t lead anywhere other than to more speculation.”

“Long enough that any record won’t matter?” Beth asks hopefully.

“Yes, long enough.”

Diane is about to get into her car when Beth stops her. “What if Dean can bring up something else? To prove that Rio is bad company or that he might be dangerous.”

“You’re just a businesswoman,” Diane says, giving her a pointed look. “You run a dealership. And he is just another businessman who has his eggs in various baskets.”

It hits Beth then that Diane must know more than what they discussed and it seems that she knows Rio pretty well too. “You spoke to him?”

“He wanted to make sure I was free before he gave you my number,” she says before adding, a slight roll of her eyes as she does so, “I think he was making sure I was good enough too although that’s pointless.”

Her brow furrows in confusion. “Why?”

“I was almost the lawyer he had on retainer,” Diane admits to which Beth gapes. “I worked with him a couple of times and when I couldn’t do it any more, I gave him Gretchen’s number.”

Beth chooses her next words carefully. “So you know about him?”

“I know enough,” Diane says and her face remains neutral. “I also know that your husband was mugged when he got shot. In case you were worried about that coming up.” Beth just blinks a little as Diane climbs into the car, shutting the door behind her but letting the window roll down. “There is nothing your husband can bring up that is going to help his case. This is going to end with you getting what you want.”

She thinks that over for a moment. “We’re playing nice for now. I’m staying calm and repeating that I want joint custody - which I still do - but what happens if they get more ruthless?”

“Then so do we,” Diane says as if it’s that simple. “We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves though. I’ll be preparing to counter them at every turn but if you remain calm and collected, that’ll work in our favour. Their little investigation will come back with nothing and we’ll argue for joint over primary. We’ll even draw up an arrangement of our own that shows just how fair you’re being considering Mr Boland won’t have much of a leg to stand on with his claims of danger.”

“Okay,” Beth says, stepping back from the car. It all feels a little much. She knows Dean won’t get the proof he needs because Rio is far too careful but that doesn’t stop her from worrying.

“Mrs Boland? _Beth_.” She looks back to Diane. “Try not to worry, okay? We’re being careful but I don’t plan to let this go on for too long. And if there’s _anything_ about your husband or any other information, that could help us, consider telling me about it.”

“Yes.” Although Beth’s not entirely sure which part she’s saying yes to.

* * *

It’s a couple of hours before Beth needs to pick the kids up when she decides to leave the dealership and go looking for Rio. She’s not entirely sure why she thinks he’ll be there but when she shows up at the bar - _their_ bar - she finds him sitting there like he’s been waiting for her. He turns his head ever so slightly towards the entrance - an indication that he knows she’s arrived - and as she begins to approach, he lifts his hand towards the bartender who instantly starts to pour two drinks.

She settles on to the stool beside Rio just as two glasses of bourbon are placed down. They both raise their glasses, imitate clinking them together, and drink. She wonders how he knew - considers for a second that maybe he’s having her followed, perhaps one of his boys was at the dealership. She tries to shake that off but she can’t.

“Were you expecting me?”

“Figured you’d need a drink.” His face is full of amusement at her questioning look. “My lawyer called. Apparently carman is looking into me.”

Beth makes a sound of acknowledgement before finishing off her drink. “I heard about her. She’s very ruthless apparently.”

Rio hums in agreement. “Diane can be too.”

At that moment a thought crosses Beth’s mind. “I heard Diane was almost your lawyer but you had to go to Gretchen. With your _interests,_ I have to assume that she costs a lot - more than I could probably afford - but then…”

“Just ask me.”

“I’m not naive enough to think you’d pay some of my bills,” Beth says. “And if you did, you would tell me and I would be paying you back.”

He gives a little shrug and gives a look of indifference. “Actually, it would be worth it to see carman put in his place.”

“You already shot him.” Although her voice is quiet, her voice is brazen and it makes Rio laugh a little into his hand. “So how come I can afford someone you almost put on retainer?”

He seems to think that over. “I negotiated a deal.”

Beth blinks at him. “What kind of deal?”

“I helped her with a case once,” Rio comments. “All above board but she owed me one. I got her to charge you a smaller fee.”

“You used a favour on me?” And she can’t keep the surprise out of her voice.

“I have more with other people,” he says like it’s nothing.

“I’m guessing she wasn’t in family law when you knew her?”

“Nah. That came a little after.”

She lets out a slow breath. “And I’m guessing you won’t need a custody lawyer any time soon.”

“Yeah, I got a good thing.”

“I bet that’s nice.” Beth doesn’t mean to sound so frustrated by it. Really, she’s happy for him that in their line of work he’s able to have a seemingly good thing with his ex but it just makes her even angrier that she’s struggling to get even a fraction of the same thing.

Suddenly his hand is pressed against her lower back. “Don’t overthink it, yeah? You’ll get it sorted.”

She sighs, nods her head a little. “It’ll never be easy though.”

“You win this round,” Rio starts. “You’ll have the advantage.”

He’s right. She knows it. This is Dean’s biggest card. If she actually gets what she wants then it limits what he can do in the future. He can’t just _take_ them after this. All she needs to do is get him to agree to her terms and then there will be very little to worry about.

“Diane knew about Dean getting shot,” Beth says, giving Rio a pointed look.

“She knows the type of stuff I do,” Rio says after a moment of obvious deliberation. “Knows we’re involved somehow. She don’t know about that night but I guess it ain’t hard to put two and two together that it weren’t no mugging gone wrong.”

It hits Beth then that Diane only really implied that perhaps the mugging wasn’t the truth. The revelation stuns her for a moment, wondering if Diane looks at her and questions if she’s helping a woman capable of shooting her husband or not. Then it catches up to her that Diane defended Rio in the past and any concern about what she might think goes out the window. All that matters is that if she could help Rio with whatever legal stuff he got into in the past then a custody battle should be nothing.

“I guess it’s a good thing you got me a lawyer,” Beth mumbles. “I definitely would lose otherwise.”

“She’ll make sure what we do don’t come back to bite you,” Rio assures. “But she can also use all that shit he’s done against him.”

“Yeah, she suggested I tell her everything about him that might help but…”

“But?”

When Beth glances at him, he raises a questioning brow, waiting for her to elaborate. “I don’t know. I mean, so what, he cheated? What does that help? Maybe all that debt could make a bit of difference but we _both_ have to pay that off and we both have the same job so is there really much difference between us?”

Rio steps off his stool long enough to drag it closer to her. When he perches down on it again, his arm is pressed right up against her. “It’ll help. You’re willing to pay something off you didn’t create to make sure your kids are good. He created the mess in the first place and yet you’re still doing something about it, more than what he managed to do. And there’s that cancer bullshit and planning to get me killed.”

“There’s no proof.” Beth sighs, talking more towards the latter two points. “I doubt the doctor will talk, he could lose his licence.”

“Who said he would have a choice?” Rio says and she expects him to look amused but when she glances his way, he’s completely serious. “Plus, proof is easy to get.”

She blinks at him a few times. “You’re not suggesting making it up, right?”

He shrugs a little. As she watches him, Beth wonders if he actually has someone for that and really, what would it take? She knows he already looked up information on how to fake cancer. And Dean really is stupid enough to ask around for hitmen to hire or even to google it. If she was more tech-savvy, she could probably plant some evidence on his home computer or the one at Boland Motors. As she considers it, she actually begins to consider it but then-

“No.”

This time he does look amused. “No?”

“I’m not fishing for proof just yet” His amusement slowly fades to confusion. “I know any information will help but I want custody of my kids, I don’t want to take him away from them.”

Rio nods his head ever so slightly but Beth isn’t so sure it’s that easy for him to get past his obvious dislike for Dean. “Don’t leave it too long if you decide, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Beth agrees, as she slips off her stool and twirls to stand behind it. She nudges it closer to the bar with her foot before she glances at him. “I’ve got to get the kids.”

Rio licks his lips a little, his fingers finding the tips of hers. Just as she goes to retrieve her hand, he _holds_ it and it makes her blink. Her eyes dart to the bathroom, images of that night - their _first_ night - together flashes to mind. It makes her blush, eyes darting down, but when she goes to pull her hand away, Rio stands.

He tugs her to him and she stumbles a little, her hand finding his chest for support. Maybe it’s the whole custody mess or Dean’s threats to take the kids regardless of what comes up but the urge to take a step back washes over her. He must sense her worry because he leans forward, his lips brushing feather-light over hers then the corner of her mouth and then pressing lightly against her cheek in a kiss.

When he pulls back just enough to look at her, he suddenly doesn’t look so sure. It’s only a glimpse before he covers it up but Beth knows she saw it. She doesn’t say anything though, she simply waits.

“They know there’s something going on,” Rio finally says. “No point in hiding around and being so secretive.”

And _that_ isn’t what she was expecting at all. He just watches her, his face completely impassive as he does so. She doesn’t quite know what to say to that. They hadn’t exactly hidden whatever it was between them but they hadn’t exactly shown it off either. The almost panic she felt mere moments ago are still fresh and it doesn’t help that the reality of actually being more open is out there.

“You mean about working together or…?” Because she _needs_  clarification.  
  
He just gives her a look like it should be obvious but he doesn’t actually respond. Instead, he squeezes her hand and leans in again, this time to kiss her lips. It’s enough to make her heart flutter a little in her chest. Biting her lip, she nods ever so slightly reminding herself that for now, it’s one step at a time and she didn’t need the clarification or maybe, if she allows herself to believe it, he’s already given it to her. 

* * *

 

Despite the fact that Rio made a lot of sense and there really was no point in being so secretive, her stomach still drops when she spots him walking towards her office the next day. She knows Dean is out in the showroom so he _had_ to have seen Rio walking in.

“What are you doing here?” she asks when he finally walks into her office, gently kicking the door shut behind him, and settling into the seat across from her.

He’s smiling, amused by the whole thing. “I can’t just drop by?”

“Not usually,” Beth comments, her eyes darting towards the windows but she can’t see Dean anywhere.

“He was too busy actually doing his job,” Rio remarks. “Or maybe he wasn’t. Never could tell.”

She gives him a disbelieving look as he laughs a little. “Listen, you being here…”

Rio slouches in his seat a little. “It’s only gonna make us look guilty of something if we keep hiding.”

“Okay, then how do we explain you being here?” He raises a brow and well, _of course_. She blushes a little and looks away for the briefest of moments. Like Diane said, he’s involved in a lot of businesses, it wouldn’t be hard to explain them working together and beyond that, Beth is free to see whoever she wants in whatever capacity she wants. Maybe it’s the freedom of not having to hide their relationship - in whatever way it might be - from anyone or perhaps it’s the knowing smirk Rio wears on his face, but it makes Beth just brave enough to ask, “so, do I tell them you’re hitting it or that we’re making love?”

For a split second, he looks completely stunned and then he barks out a laugh, loud and surprised. She tries to hide her own smile because while an answer would be nice, it takes her back. Sitting in her van, worrying about what the hell to tell Turner. She never would have admitted back then, what she ended up telling Turner or that Rio’s words to her had sparked something inside.

He opens his mouth and it seems like he might clarify but then the door to her office opens, Annie’s voice filling the space.

“Hey, sis, we brought lunch,” she supplies. “Well, Ruby got doughnuts.”

Beth looks up just in time to see Annie pause, Ruby walking right into the back of her. The pair look to Rio and then at her. She motions for them to come in. The latter closes the door and stays by it while Annie walks right up to the side of the desk.

“We interrupting anything?” she asks as she pops a paper bag down.

“Nah,” Rio supplies, eyeing Beth’s hands as she pulls a ring doughnut out. It’s got pink icing and sprinkles all over it. “We just talking.”

Beth looks between him and the doughnut before she breaks it roughly in half and hands one over to him. It’s small but she does notice the corners of his mouth turn up ever so slightly as he takes it from her. As she nibbles on her own piece, she tries to ignore the looks Annie and Ruby are sharing.

“Don’t you have work?” Beth asks her sister.

“Stan has the car,” Ruby supplies. “She came to get me after my shift”

“I’ll drop her home and then go to work but there’s time so we stopped by here to waste some of it,” Annie adds. “How’d it go yesterday?”

“Dean still wants primary custody.”

Annie scoffs. “Figures.”

“Your lawyer good though?” Ruby asks.

Beth glances at Rio who raises both eyebrows but ultimately remains quiet. “Yeah, she’s really good. She’s got a plan.”

Both of them look satisfied and the lapse into silence is enough to make Rio stand up. He glances their way briefly before looking back to Beth. His eyes roam over her a little.

“I’ll see you tonight, yeah?”

She nods because _God_ _yes_. It suddenly feels like forever since she saw him properly. He smiles a little as he turns, throwing out a “ _ladies_ ” as he walks out of the office. Once he’s gone, the door closed securely behind him, both Annie and Ruby turn their attention on her and she knows they’re waiting for the details but as they settle into the two seats across from her, she spots Dean approaching her door. It doesn’t go unnoticed by her that he momentarily falters at the sight of Rio and tries not to look at him. 

“Son of a bitch,” she mutters under her breath. It’s loud enough, however, for both of them to hear and they turn just in time to see Dean open the door.

“Bethie, can we talk?” He looks a little ticked off - mostly likely from Rio being around - but he manages to keep it out of his voice and that tells Beth that he really wants something.

“No, _Beth_ , can’t talk,” Annie mumbles as both she and Ruby settle back into their seat as if to make a point that they don’t plan to leave.

“I’m busy, Dean.”

“I’m not trying to be difficult,” he says in a tone that makes Beth feel sick because she knows there’s a chance that before his infidelities came to light, that tone would have been enough to maybe convince her that he’s telling the truth. “I just think primary is the best thing right now. You clearly can’t stay away from him or his… _Business_. I want to give you a chance which is why I haven't tried for sole custody just yet but even with primary, they’ll be safe with me and-”

“No,” Beth says, cutting him off. “They’ll be safe with both of us so I’m going for joint custody because we might not be together anymore but we're _both_ their parents and they deserve to have us  _both_ around on equal footing. You won’t convince me and this-” she motions generally between them “-is exactly why we have lawyers.”

He opens and closes his mouth, clearly trying to figure out what to say when Annie turns abruptly to face him. “That’s your queue to leave, _Deansie_.”

Best tries not to smile as he blushes a little. He looks completely flustered and thankfully it’s enough to make him leave.

“That was…” Ruby says, trailing off, considering her next words. “Civil and yet not civil.”

“Do you know what I just realised while he was talking?” Beth asks and they both shake their head. “His lawyer was going to look into Rio, find a reason to keep the kids away from him and give Dean primary custody or like he said, maybe even sole custody, but if Dean is already in here begging me to consider it then I’m guessing they’ve not found anything yet.”

“When did they start looking?” Annie asks.

“They mentioned it yesterday but it was implied they started before then.”

“Like they’ll find anything,” Ruby scoffs. “Homeboy isn’t stupid.”

Beth hums in agreement as she thinks back to their second Fine & Frugal robbery. “Yeah, and we should know.”

“ _Dean_ should know,” Annie points out. “He actually got the brutal end of it.”

“You’re forgetting he’s also an idiot,” Beth mumbles, putting her head back.

As she closes her eyes she hears both of them snort a little in agreement followed by the rustling of paper bags as they pull out their own doughnuts.

* * *

When she opens the french doors that night to Rio standing there, Beth can’t help but grin. He’s got this soft, casual smile as he tucks his hands into the pockets of his jeans and rocks back on his heels. She lets her eyes roam over him - not even bothering to hide the fact - before she finally steps back and lets him into the room. He shuts the door behind him and doesn’t even look at it as he reaches behind himself to lock it.

Beth doesn’t even get the chance to figure out _what_ she wants to say when he’s on her. His arm wraps around her waist, drawing her in as close as possible as they kiss. Her hands find their way up his chest, fingers splayed out over the eagle tattoo before they meet at the back of his neck.

“Hi,” she mumbles against his lips.

Rio nips at her bottom one. “Hey.”

And that’s enough talking for the both of them. 

He walks her back towards the bed and she only pulls away from him as the side of it hits the back of her legs. She shrugs out of her dressing gown, letting it fall to the floor around her. His eyes slowly work over her, amusement lighting his features and she just _knows_ it’s the flower pattern that even Beth can acknowledge is a little obnoxious.

She begins to undo her buttons and that immediately refocuses his attention as he steps back just enough to unbutton his own shirt. Beth gets hers off first (fewer buttons) and doesn’t waste time, nor does she wait for him, as she wriggles out of her clothes and settles back on the bed, laying almost diagonally across it in nothing but her panties. Rio’s got his shirt off, belt unbuckled, but he falters at the sight of her and for once, his eyes all over her doesn’t make her blush, it creates a sense of pride that wells up inside of her.

When his eyes find hers, there’s a split second before he’s back to removing his clothes until he’s stood there in only his boxers. He crawls on top of her but then settles at her side, his fingertips brushing along her stomach, downwards until they find their way beneath her panties and between her legs. She gladly opens them for him, just enough to let his fingers slip between her folds. The sensation forces a shudder to run right through her and it isn’t long before she’s gasping and moaning.

As he thrusts two fingers in and out of her, Beth can’t help the particularly loud moan that escapes and while her eyes drift shut a little, she feels him kiss the corner of her mouth. Every time he pulls his fingers out, he removes them completely, drags them back up to circle her clit before he slowly moves both fingers back down to push into her once again. It begins to frustrate her because while it feels good, it’s so unbelievably slow, so she raises her hips to meet him each time. It makes him chuckle but she quickly shuts him up as she turns her head to kiss him.

Beth’s hand is at the back of Rio’s neck and when she’s not kissing him, she’s moaning into his mouth. His speed quickens just enough to ease that frustration but not so fast that she can’t take the time to enjoy it. When they’re not kissing and she’s not moaning against his lips, he’s nipping at her bottom one. Her eyes are closed but she just knows that his are on her, watching her face carefully.

She’s proven right as she opens her eyes. The look on his face mixed with one, two, three more slow and deliberate circles of her clit is enough to send her over the edge. He doesn’t stop, not as she cries out, not as the pleasure washes over her in the most intense way, and not even as she starts to come down from it. It’s only when her head dips back and she blinks lazily at him, that he finally retrieves his hand. She doesn’t even have the energy to say anything as he looks amused and simply _licks_ his fingers clean. All she can do is lay there for a moment and let the thrill of that move right through her.

Rio seems happy enough to just lay there and let her catch her breath which she does - just for a moment - but then laying there becomes too much. She rolls her head to the side to look at him. Her fingers run down his chest until they pause at the line of his boxers.

“Off,” is what she gets out, followed by a quick, “nightstand.”

Not that he needs to be told twice. He’s off the bed, pushing out of them. He reaches around in the nightstand and as she hears the rip of the condom wrapper, Beth pushes out of her panties and lets them fall somewhere onto the floor. She settles back just as he turns and crawls back on top of her.

He kisses her shoulder, her neck, her jaw, the corner of her mouth, and then this lips press ever so lightly against hers as he settles between her legs. “Elizabeth.” 

“ _Please_.” She doesn’t even care that it comes out like a whine.

In response, Rio positions himself a little better and Beth holds her breath as he pushes carefully into her, giving her time to adjust. When she nods her head a little and reaches up to kiss him, he thrusts in and out of her, picking speed as he goes. For a while, every time her head falls back, he chases her so he can kiss her once again until he finally settles to kissing and sucking at her neck which she arches to give him better access.

Her hand settles between them, circling at her clit as he thrusts. Her other hand is at the base of his neck and she gently scratches at it. Rio groans into her neck when she digs them in particularly hard which sends a thrill right through her but when he pulls back, lifting just enough to look down at her, she removes her hand from between them and places it against his chest.

“Stop.” Rio looks at her, brow furrowed in what she realises is a mixture of confusion and concern as he stops all movement. “I want you on your back.”

That all too familiar smirk appears and he eagerly obliges, pulling out of her completely and settling onto his back beside her. She sits up and takes a breath before she moves to straddle him. He helps position her and guides her down onto him, Beth biting her bottom lip as he utters a very quiet but meaningful “ _fuck_ ” under his breath.

She tries not to let her worries wash over as she begins to move. It helps that his fingers are digging into her hips and that his mouth is a little slack as he watches her. She focuses on those things. Allows for herself to get lost in the sensation of him inside of her, knowing that she’s the one that has control. Her hands are on his chest, nails digging in to leave crescent-shaped marks before she leans down to kiss him.

When she pulls back up, he moves with her. He’s got one arm put out behind him for support as the other hand trails gently up her lower back. Her movements quicken, breath hitching a little as she grips at his shoulders. She means to kiss him but instead, she ends up moaning against his lips. It’s not long before he’s moaning with her and even thrusts up to meet her movements. She lets out a breathless “ _Rio_ ” before she bites his lip and a string of obscenities fall from his mouth in response. 

Her hand slips between them to find her clit. The combination makes the entire thing a little sloppy but it doesn’t matter. It only takes a few swipes before she falling over the edge again and starts to clench around him. He curses particularly loud - seemingly out of surprise - and his forehead falls against her shoulder. She wraps her arms around him as he frantically tries to thrust up into her while he too falls over the edge.

For a moment - as they both come down - they stay completely still but then Rio falls back onto the bed. She lifts off of him before sitting down beside him. She gently picks at the condom, pulling it off and securing it before depositing it into the wastebasket beside her bed. When she lays down beside him, he instantly rolls onto his side and practically wraps himself around her as his head rests against her chest.

“Are you going to stay?” she asks.

His eyes are closed and it doesn’t look like he’s going to move or say anything but then he hums in agreement. “Try stopping me.”

She reaches over to grab the blanket from the edge of the bed and haphazardly pulls it over them. When she settles back, Rio wriggles impossibly closer. As her heart begins to beat just a little bit faster, she laces her fingers with his as their hands settle across her stomach. She listens carefully until she knows he’s fallen asleep and then she finally allows herself to do the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've actually done a ton of writing lately it's just, unfortunately, hardly any of it has been fanfiction. Due to that fact, this chapter was actually written out of order so while I'm sure I caught any major mistakes, I do apologise if any smaller ones were present.


	12. Sign of Approval

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the potential for things to change elsewhere, Beth and Rio seem to get that little bit closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) I really don't speak lawyer. 2) This chapter has some fluffy/soft/cute moments that I wasn't expecting to include right now but _my god_ , I had the best time writing all of this.

When Beth woke up the next morning, some things were different. She was still lying naked in bed but she had the blanket all to herself and Rio was no longer there. At first, she had felt around blindly for him and when she had come up empty, she tried to ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach. At some point during the night, they had grabbed a pillow each and so, with his absence, she takes his pillow and hugs it to her chest while she allows herself to just lay there.

Eventually her thoughts began to drift and at first, she’s thankful to not be thinking about Rio anymore until her mind turns to all things custody. Maybe she had jumped back into Book Club too quickly. Back when she left her pearls, it had mostly been about getting as much money as she could and being in control so that Dean couldn’t mess things up again. This time around, it had been about wanting to do something for herself and not just going along with whatever absurd ultimatum or threats Dean could come up with. He was the common denominator in all of it, the real problem, and Beth knows that but she can’t help but think that he would have signed her agreement if she hadn’t of jumped back into Book Club and started working with Rio again. If she had just waited a little longer then perhaps- _No._

Beth forces herself to stop thinking about it as she finally stumbles out of bed. She won’t let Dean do that to her. Grabbing her dressing gown which has been picked up from the floor and placed on one of the chairs, she pulls it on and heads to the en-suite where, once inside, she sets about getting ready for the day. It’s early enough that the kids shouldn’t be awake just yet but she hurries along nonetheless, eager to get breakfast started. Only, once she’s dressed, she opens her bedroom door to find Emma standing there, little fist raised like she was about to knock.

“You’re up nice and early,” Beth says, smiling down at her.

Emma nods along and reaches for Beth’s hand. “Come on.”

“Where are we going?” she asks as she allows herself to be pulled along.

“Rio said that breakfast is ready!”

Beth blinks at that and her steps falter which almost yanks Emma backwards but she doesn’t seem to mind. She just tugs a little impatiently on Beth’s hand and they continue walking towards the kitchen.

It really is a sight. Rio stood there with one of her aprons on. He’s still wearing the same clothes as yesterday, although she notes the top two buttons of his shirt are undone and the sleeves are rolled up. It hits her then that he never actually left. There are plates laid out on the island counter and he’s piling them up with omelettes. Once he’s put the frying pan into the sink, he pushes the plates over and Beth just stares for a moment as the kids tuck in without any questions.

As Rio turns away to deal with washing up the frying pan, Beth finally wanders closer where she helps Emma up on to the stool. Starting with Emma, she makes her way along the island counter, kissing the top of each of their heads, ending with Kenny. Standing there she watches him carefully. He’s got his back to her but the whole situation makes her worries from before almost completely disappear. Sure, things might have been easier if she had delayed working with Rio again or even if she had just kept it a secret. Maybe Dean would have agreed to what she wanted and signed the papers but those things didn’t happen.

“Rio made breakfast!” Jane says, bringing Beth out of her thoughts.

She looks over at Jane who is already back to shoving big mouthfuls of omelette into her mouth. “I can see that. Is it good?”

Thankfully she swallows before she answers. “The best!”

“What does everyone else think?” There’s a chorus of positive responses and Beth rolls her eyes a little at the sight of Rio’s smirk but it is hard not to smile. “Is everyone okay with orange juice?”

“Can I have apple, please?” Emma asks.

Beth nods at her. “Anyone else for apple?”

The other three shake their heads and she heads over to the fridge to pull the juice out. When she turns back around, Rio has set four cups onto the counter and that’s when she notices the two mugs of coffee. She closes her eyes momentarily, a look of pure satisfaction on her face. When she opens her eyes, he’s drinking his coffee but she can see he’s smiling behind his cup.

Once she’s poured the kids their juice and put it back in the fridge, Beth’s finally able to eat and she’s sure it’s a mistake because as soon as she takes a bite, she wonders if it’ll be too much too soon to get him to stay for breakfast every day. It’s really just a cheese omelette with a few herbs in it for extra flavour but the kicker is the fact that there’s also spinach and her kids are actually eating it.

“I can’t believe you got my kids to eat this,” Beth whispers, not wanting to disrupt them.

Rio laughs a little as he tucks into his own food. “My cooking’s just that good.”

She bites her lip and shakes her head a little as they all settle into silence as they eat. It definitely hadn’t been how she expected her morning to go. Despite the sinking feeling in her stomach, it hadn’t been a surprise when she woke up to an empty bed. Even she could admit that things were becoming a little more complex between them. There was definitely _something_ there - something beyond just sex - but she was yet to put her finger on it and seeing him leaning on the island counter in her kitchen, eating the food he’d made for the both of them and her kids, only complicated things more. 

Beth couldn’t deny that it felt _good_ though. It might not have been a surprise to find the bed empty but it was certainly one to find him in her kitchen and a pleasant one at that. She could get used to it although for now, she might just have to imagine.

“Alright, kids,” she starts as the kids push their empty plates forward and reach for their drinks. “Finish up quickly and go get ready. We’ve got to go soon.”

She goes to collect the dishes but Rio waves her off as he beats her to it. Giving him an appreciative smile, she instead turns to the fridge so she can pull out the ingredients to start making their lunches.

“Do we have to go to school?” Jane asks as she hands her empty cup over to Rio.

“Yeah, can we stay here with you guys?” Emma asks which draws the attention of both Danny and Kenny who nod.

Beth blinks a few times at how into the idea Danny seems to be. She can tell he’s still a little nervous from the way his eyes never quite land on Rio but the fact that he’s happy enough to go along with what his siblings want, makes her smile.

“I’m going to work, sweetie,” Beth finally says as she busies herself with making their sandwiches.

“I gotta work too,” Rio adds as he starts to rinse off the plates.

Emma pouts but then brightens up suddenly. “Will he be here when we come home?”

“Oh, uh,” Beth starts, faltering slightly before she forces herself to continue her task at hand. “I’m not sure about that.”

“But you’ll see me again,” he adds, glancing over at Emma. “Soon.”

It seems like a good enough answer because all four kids look satisfied. They all hop down from their stools and hurry upstairs to finish getting ready for school. Once they’re out of sight, Beth lets out a breath as she finishes up the last of the sandwiches before putting them into the containers along with the correct snacks.

The entire time, Rio remains silent. He simply finishes rinsing the dishes before putting them into the dishwasher and turning it on. She sees him out of the corner of her eye as he leans back against the counter, arms folded over his chest as he watches her.

“You didn’t have to stay,” Beth finally says as she stacks the lunch boxes up, ready to hand each of them out.

He raises a brow. “You didn’t want me to?”

She shakes her head a little. “I didn’t say that.”

Suddenly, he takes her hand and tugs her towards the stools. He sits down on one then pulls her closer so that she’s stood between his legs and it doesn’t seem like he’s going to be rushing off just yet which makes her happy, not that she’s going to admit that out loud.

One of his arms wraps around her and she takes a deep breath as she places a hand on his chest, making the most of his open collar, she presses her fingertips gently against his skin.

“I get nervous when you’re around them,” Beth admits which earns her a scowl so she quickly hurries on. “No because of _you_. It’s all Dean. They’ll say something to him about this morning, I know they will, and they should but I…” She lets out a breath. “I just can’t wait for this whole thing with him to be sorted. I won’t have to worry about escalating anything then.”

Rio opens his mouth to respond when her phone begins to ring. She uses her free hand to grab it from her back pocket and her stomach tightens as Diane’s name flashes across the screen. Rio glances at her and when he pulls his arm from around her waist, she grips at his shirt so he can’t move away completely.

“Hello?” she says once she’s picked up the phone and pressed it to her ear.

“Mrs- _Beth_ ,” Diane starts. “Can you talk?”

“Yeah, I’m just…” She swallows. “I’m just at home with Rio but I’ll need to leave in a few minutes to take the kids to school.”

“Oh, well, he might have already told you then.”

Beth frowns at Rio who tilts his head to the side a little. “I spoke to Gretchen and she said she made herself useful but she assured there was nothing that could help your husband.”

“That…” She glances away from Rio but still keeps her grip on his shirt. “Sounds good?”

“It is,” Diane agrees. “Of course, that’s only what I’ve been told. We don’t know what else they’ve been looking into. I’ll give them another day or so but I’m going to be writing up that agreement. I want you to look it over and if you’re happy, I’ll set up a meeting with them.”

“That works,” Beth agrees. “I haven’t changed my mind on anything but it doesn’t seem like Dean has either.”

“You spoke to him about it?”

“He came to my office yesterday and asked me to reconsider giving him primary custody,” Beth explains, blushing a little as she looks away. “I, uh, planned on calling to let you know but I got distracted.”

She swears she hears a slight chuckle on the other end of the line but if she’s right, it’s gone almost immediately. “Well, if he’s trying to corner you without me there then they really must be coming up empty.”

“I don’t want this to go to court,” Beth says. “I don’t want this to be anyone else’s decision.”

“I’ll do everything I can to make sure it doesn’t get that far,” Diane assures. “But Beth, if it does get to that point, we might not be able to get away with playing fair.”  
  
“I don’t want to hurt them,” Beth supplies, meaning the kids but then she clears her throat a little. “But I don’t want him to have any kind of power to keep them from me. We deserve equal time, _they_ deserve equal time.”

There’s a sound of acknowledgement on the other end of the line. “I’m going to get that agreement drafted up today, okay? Try not to worry. I’ll be in touch a little later, tomorrow at the latest.”

Beth utters a quiet “thank you” and says her goodbyes before hanging up the phone. Once she’s slipped it into her back pocket, with his hand on her hip, Rio tugs her closer. The hand at his chest slips up to hook around the back of his neck as she leans in to press a kiss to his lips.

“You stayed,” she says as if the fact had just hit her and she hadn’t already brought it up before.

He hums a little before he kisses her. “Was hungry.”

“Oh, yeah?” She raises a brow. “You could’ve left after you ate.”

“You got your hands on me,” he points out, reaching towards the back of his neck where his fingertips brush against her hand.

“You sat down,” she points out.

He shrugs a little and she watches as a sly smile spreads across his face. “Maybe I wasn’t done eating.”

Before she can even think up a response to that, he’s standing up from the stool, forcing her to take a step back and he’s wrapping an arm around her. His mouth finds her neck almost immediately and she yelps as he nips at it. He laughs against her skin as he presses a kiss there but then there’s noise at the top of the stairs, the kids finally ready for school.

While he does pull away from her, he does it so slowly that the kids are practically in the room by the time he’s untangled from her. She glares at him a little but he just grins as he leans back against the counter. Luckily, all four of them are completely oblivious.

“I should be going,” Rio announces which does grab the attention of everyone in the room. He tries not to smile as his focus shifts from Beth to the kids. “Have fun at school.”

“See you later!” Emma says in a hopeful tone to which the other three offer up their own goodbyes.

“Yeah,” he says, smiling at Beth the whole time as he heads towards the side door. “See you all later.”

Beth swallows as she deliberately looks away from him. It doesn’t help that he chuckles a little before she hears the opening and closing of the door. Trying to ignore the way her heart is beating just that little bit faster, Beth takes a moment to adjust Emma and Jane’s clothing and to make sure they’re dressed properly and appropriately. She knows she doesn’t have to check Kenny or Danny but she does a subtle sweep of the latter just in case. When she’s sure there’s going to be no problems with poor clothing or forgotten supplies, she hands each of them their lunch.

“Is Rio your boyfriend?” Emma asks suddenly.

There’s a ringing in her ears as Beth’s eyes sweep over all four of her kids who are looking at her expectingly. “Oh, uh, no he’s not.”

“You would tell us though, right?” Kenny asks.

“If I had a boyfriend?” He nods at her. “Yes, of course.”

Emma frowns. “Why isn’t Rio your boyfriend?”

“We like him,” Danny adds.

Although she wasn’t going to fuss with his clothing, Beth does crouch down in front of him and busies herself with zipping up his jacket. “You do, huh?”

“Yeah.”

And she can’t help but smile at him as she reaches up to fix his hair. Something about Danny’s approval means the most to her. He’s her sweet boy, the soft one, the quiet one. She hadn’t been lying when she said he takes the longest to warm up to people so to know that he liked Rio, well, it was everything really.

“Well, he’s not my boyfriend,” Beth repeats. “But he is my friend and we spend a lot of time together.”

“Good,” Jane says, playing with the zip on her own jacket. “I didn’t like it when you were sad.”

“And you think Rio has something to do with me not being sad anymore?”

“He’s got to,” Kenny says and when she looks up at him, he shrugs a little. “He’s the only thing that’s changed. Oh, and Dad not living here anymore.”

As Beth stands up, she makes a mental note to sit the kids down - with Dean - and actually talk to them about what’s going on. They don’t seem upset by any of it per se, more nervous if she had to guess. And honestly, she’s a little stuck of what to say. While things have been stressful, she definitely has been happier since Rio came back and she finally kicked Dean out but she wasn’t quite sure how to phrase _that_ to her kids. Luckily, Kenny seems to catch on.

“We’re going to be late for school,” he says.

“Yes, yes you are,” Beth agrees throwing him an appreciative smile before handing him the car keys. “Why don’t you get everyone in the car? And I’ll start locking up.”

He nods at her in agreement before ushering the kids towards the front door. Once they’re out of sight, Beth grips the island counter and gives herself a moment just to breathe. 

* * *

When Beth got to the dealership, she couldn’t help but notice the way Dean tried to avoid her. It was a blessing really considering she didn’t want to have to deal with him. She wondered for a moment if Diane had already set up the meeting but Dean seemed a little too at ease for that so she figured instead that he must have either been told not to talk about the custody agreement or they really hadn’t found anything to use against Rio and therefore, her.

Either option was good but as she sat behind her desk, trying to get through the mountain of paper work that somehow always managed to pile up, she couldn’t help but think about the phone call she had had with Diane earlier. Settling back in her seat, Beth taps her pen against the desk as she stares at her phone. After a few moments of deliberation, she decides to just throw caution to the wind and picks it up. She practically rushes to unlock it, scroll to his name, and hit the call button before she can change her mind.

It picks up on the second ring. “Miss me already?”

She rolls her eyes. “Hello to you, too.”

“Hello,” he says, voice unusually soft.

Trying not to smile, she turns her chair so that her back is to the door. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Business or pleasure?”

For a moment she wonders if there’s a difference when it comes to them. “Well, it’s about the phone call I had with Diane.”

There’s a pause. “What about it?”

“She said Gretchen made herself useful,” Beth supplies. “What does that mean exactly?”

“It means she gave them everything they would’ve found on their own,” Rio says like it’s obvious.

“But why?”

“‘Cause except for a couple of things when I was a teenager, everything they’re gonna find makes me look like the good citizen I am.” Beth scoffs at that and she can hear him chuckle in response. “Point is, they won’t find anything bad and now they’ve got all this information that they was gonna find anyway.”

“That still doesn’t really explain why.”

“If they had gone looking for this stuff on their own, they would’ve dragged it out until they could be sure you’d cave."

Beth sighs, sinking a little lower into their seat. “What if they keep looking anyway?”

“Nothing else to find.” She can practically hear him shrugging. “And with Gretchen’s help there’s no excuse for them to take so much time.”

And, well, he’s not wrong. Although they’ll still have to go through all of the information Gretchen has handed over, it’s still less work for them in the long run. They’re more likely to come to the end of their little investigation sooner rather than later and considering Dean had tried to convince her without their lawyers present and was avoiding her currently, it really does seem like luck is on her side.

“They’re really not going to find anything.”

Rio laughs. “Been telling you that.”

“Thank you,” she says. “For giving me Diane’s number and using up your favour so I could afford her and for letting Gretchen help out.”

“Ain’t nothing.”

_It’s everything_ , she thinks. “Out of curiosity, what information _did_ she give them?”

“Criminal history, current employment, list of properties, you get the point,” he supplies. “Just stuff to prove that the money I’m making is above board and that my time is well accounted for. No time to be a crime lord or a gangster or whatever he thinks I am.”

“Criminal history?”

“I was an idiot when I was a teenager.”

Beth scoffs at that. “How much of an idiot?”

“Next question.” But she notes that his voice is still light with amusement.

And Beth decides to let it go. It could always be a conversation for another day, a part of her had always wondered what young Rio had been like. “Current employment?”

“Got a lot of businesses,” Rio supplies. “Invest in a bunch of places.”

“Like Boland Motors?”

“Not on paper.”

Beth frowns. “But Dean knows you’re supplying the cars.”

“I own a percentage of the business that supplies some of your cars,” Rio says and she sits forward a little because she had wondered. It hadn’t taken her long to notice that the same company name kept popping up. “That company is on the list Gretchen gave them so if it comes up…”

“And the list of properties?” 

“Didn’t share where I live or anything like that,” Rio explains. “Sure his lawyer could find it out but I wasn’t about to give it over.”

“So what list do they have?” she asks.

“I own a few places, rent them out mostly.”

She brings her pen up to her mouth and begins to chew on the end of it. “Another business.” 

“Uh huh.”

“Why are you telling me all this?”

Again, she can practically hear him shrugging and although he does sound casual, she can tell he’s being serious. “You asked.”

_And you don’t always answer_ , she thinks but instead says, “I did.”

There’s a pause and she thinks about a second that it might be about time to end their conversation but then his tone turns a little less serious again. “Still miss me?”

She huffs out a breath. “Never said I missed you.”

“Didn’t need to.”

“You’re impossible.”

This time it’s that smirk of his that she can practically hear. She’s spent enough time with him, known him long enough, to know that it’s the type of thing he would smirk at. “Probably gonna see you later anyway.”

Beth blinks a little in surprise. “You will?”

“Told Emma I’d see her again.”

She shakes her head a little. “Maybe we’ll run into each other then.”

“She my main priority though.”

“Oh, of course,” Beth agrees, unable to stop herself from smiling. “You know, she likes it when you called her ‘Rabbit', right?” He hums in agreement and she wonders if he likes calling her it but before either of them can say anything more, her phone beeps. “I’ve got another call coming in.”

“Ignore it,” he tells her.

And she does consider it but then she pulls the phone away from her ear to check and Diane’s name flashes across the screen. “I can’t. It’s my lawyer.”

“A’ight but don’t blame me if I’m too busy to talk later.”

She rolls her eyes. “Bye, Rio.”

The last thing she hears is him chuckling as she hangs up and quickly picks up the other line. It takes a second for the calls to switch before she can talk.

“Sorry, I was on the other line.”

“That’s alright,” Diane says and Beth can hear what sounds like traffic in the background and assumes she’s driving. “Do you remember what floor to find me on at my office?”

They’ve actually only met there once but she does. “Yes, what’s going on?”

“We’ve got a meeting on Thursday at eleven,” Diane explains. “It’ll be the four of us. Did you change your mind with any of the custody agreement details?”

“No,” Beth says as she grabs a post-it note and writes down the details of the meeting. “Everything I told you last time still stands.”

“Great. I’ll have copies ready to go. Just come straight up when you arrive on Thursday. And call me if you have any more run-ins with Mr Boland before then.”

“I will,” Beth promises. “But can we maybe meet up a little earlier?”

There’s a pause. “I could probably do half ten. What’s wrong?”

“Oh, nothing,” she says quickly. “It’s just… I’m not saying I want you to use any of it but I want to bring you fully up to date on everything Dean has done in case the meeting doesn’t go well.”

“That would be great,” Diane says, her voice gentle in a way that Beth assumes is meant to be reassuring. “We’ll talk once they’ve gone as well and you can decide if you want to use what you’ve told me, alright?”

Beth closes her eyes and lets out a breath. “That would be great.”

With guarantees to keep each other updated, Beth hangs up and finally turns back to her desk. All Dean and his lawyer should find out is that Rio is a stand-up guy with nothing to back up any claims that he’s dangerous. And Beth knows he _can_ be dangerous. She still remembers what it felt like that night out on the street, after everything, when she asked if he was going to kill her and how she hadn’t been the slightest bit bothered that the answer might have been ‘yes.’ 

But the thing is, he’s not a danger pre-se. That’s to say, Beth knows that he’s not the type of danger that means she should lose her kids or have less access to them or less say in their lives. He has a son of his own. There has to be lines there, walls he’s built up, _something_ just to ensure that none of his business blows back on his child. She could do the same, she _knows_ she can.

* * *

It’s well after dinner, all homework is done, and the kids are all huddled on the couch watching TV as Beth finishes unloading the now finished dishwasher. The knock at the front door makes her pause. Her first thought is Rio but since when does he wait to be invited when he could just walk right in? Also, the fact that it’s the front door makes her second guess that it’s him as well. And both Annie and Ruby have keys. There’s a sinking feeling that it might be Dean and well, at least he’s learnt to knock first.

“I got it!” Emma calls.

“No,” Beth tries to call back but it’s too late.

She turns just in time to see Emma running off towards the door. Dropping the cloth she had been using down onto the table, she wipes her hands against her jeans as she hurries towards the door.

“Rio!”

Beth pauses by the archway. The door is open just enough for Emma to look out and see who it is. She’s moving excitedly on the spot as she opens it a little further. Beth watches as Rio comes into view but instead of stepping inside, he crouches down in front of Emma.

“Hey, Rabbit.” She must be beaming at him because he’s smiling in a way that suggests he can’t help it. “You know, you should always ask who it is before you open the door.”

“I know.” Emma kicks the ground nervously. “I was hoping it was you.”

“You were, huh?”

She nods her head. “I didn’t think you were gonna come.”

“Said you’d see me again soon.”

Beth smiles at how softly he says it and her breath hitches a little when, in one swift motion, he scoops Emma up and stands at the same time. She watches as he steps into the house and closes the door behind him. It’s a sight to see him with Emma settled on his hip, her head resting against his shoulder.

When he turns around, his eyes land on Beth and they both just stand there for a moment. He’s impossible to read which is no surprise. Eventually, she motions for him to come on in before turning to head back to the kitchen. 

At first, she watches as Rio comes up behind the couch and settles Emma back down onto her spot. The other three look up at him and he leans on the back of the couch so he can talk to them all. While Beth finishes putting the dishes away, she occasionally catches glimpses of them all. Rio doesn’t seem to say much, her kids covering every possible ounce of silence, no longer interested in the show they had been watching. It’s nice, Beth thinks, to see them so excited. Even Danny is getting involved, his eyes _finally_ settling on Rio for more than just a few seconds.

When she’s done putting things away, Beth turns towards the sink so her back is to the other room. She actually hears him when he steps into the kitchen but she doesn’t turn back around. Instead, she stays exactly where she is and waits.

“Hey,” Rio says as his arms wrap around her and pull her back so she’s flush against his chest.

She relaxes into him a little. “Thought you weren’t here for me.”

“I’m good at multi-tasking,” he tells her right before her presses a kiss to her shoulder.

Beth shuffles forward just enough so she can turn around to face him. He doesn’t let go of her the entire time, only loosens his grip enough to let her move without any trouble. “My kids are right there.”

He smiles. “I ain’t doing anything.”

“You’re impossible,” she tells him.

“So you keep saying.”

She rolls her eyes at how _proud_ he sounds. “Impossible.”

He responds with a kiss and for a moment, she allows herself to get lost in it. His lips are still close to hers when he speaks again, “I’m on duty to read a bedtime story.”

“Emma or Jane?”

“Both.” He pulls away as he laughs a little. “Practically spoke over each other to ask.”

“And you just said yes?” She blinks at him. “I mean, _you_ reading them a bed time story?”

“Who you think reads to Marcus when he’s with me?”

She narrows her eyes ever so slightly as she tries to stop herself from smiling. “Do you do the voices and everything?”

“That’s need to know.”

“I could always come upstairs and listen.”

“Nah.” He shakes his head, corners of his mouth already starting to tug upwards as he pulls away from her. “You ain’t invited.”

While it is tempting to listen in, she does relent and, with her eyes still on Rio, she calls out to the kids. “Alright, guys, it’s time for bed.”

Beth knows full well that their show has just finished and she always waits for that so they can’t complain that the episode isn’t done yet. She figures Rio being there and promising to see them off to bed will help a little too.

Just as the kids climb off the couch, Rio moves away from her entirely. She wanders closer to them and crouches down. She hugs Emma and Jane at the same time, kissing both of their cheeks.

“Do you want me to tuck you in?”

“Rio’s going to do it,” Emma says brightly.

“And read us a story!” Jane adds excitedly.

Beth smiles back at them. “Don’t forget your Dubby and the night light, yeah?”

“We won’t,” they both say.

“Go on then.”

They hug her one more time before they hurry past to where Rio is. As she straightens up, the girls come back into view. They each have one of Rio’s hands and are tugging him towards the stairs. Beth tries not to smile but he’s already rolling his eyes at her.

“Are you two good?” she asks as she turns to her boys although it’s mostly aimed at Danny.

“I’m good,” Kenny says before heading towards the stairs because they both know what’s going to happen next. When he gets to them, he looks back briefly. “Night.”

“Night, sweetie,” she calls to him before turning her attention back to Danny. “Don’t I geta hug?”

He looks relieved as he steps forward and hugs her tightly. It had come to her attention in the month or so before Rio came back that Danny was at that age where he clearly still wants to be looked after but doesn’t think he should be. It’s like he’s not sure whether he should still be like his younger siblings or more grown up like his big brother.

Beth supposes that it doesn’t help that the girls are practically like twins and Danny is the most like a middle child. It all meant that he became nervous to ask for some things. She had clocked on to certain things pretty quickly, like how he _always_ wants a hug before bed even if he doesn’t outright ask for it. Kenny had noticed too and she had been thankful that he never brought it up, never teased Danny about it.

“We could read a little before you go to bed?” she offers because sometimes he likes that too.

He shakes his head. “I’m tired.”

“Okay, sweetie,” she says before kissing the top of his head and pulling him in for one more hug being sure to be as over-dramatic about it as possible.

“Mom,” Danny groans although it quickly turns to laughter as she kisses his cheek a few times. “ _Mom_ , I gotta go to bed.”

“Alright, alright, you’ve twisted my arm.” She lets go and gently pushes him towards the stairs. “Goodnight.”

“Night,” he says quickly before hurrying towards the stairs.

Beth can’t help but smile as she catches the pleased look on his face before he disappears out of sight. When she can no longer hear his footsteps, she wanders back into the kitchen where she puts on a fresh pot of coffee and pulls out two mugs. When it’s ready, she pours herself some and leans back against the counter as she digs her phone out of her pocket.

After some deliberation, she texts Annie and Ruby to see if they’re both free. When she gets the confirmation she needs, she asks them to come round in half an hour to talk but doesn’t elaborate. As she settles the phone down on the counter beside her, she wraps both hands around the mug of coffee and drinks.

With everything going on and the potential for things to go her way on Thursday, Beth knows she’s can benefit from seeing them both. And with Rio being around, it would be the perfect time to fully discuss where business might go with the four of them present instead of her acting like some kind of go-between.

She’s practically done with her coffee when Rio comes down the stairs. He makes a beeline for the pot and pours himself some before leaning back against the counter beside her.

“How’d it go?” she asks as she settles her mug into the sink.

“The Queens made friends with the dragons and apparently kicked the Kings out of the castle,” Rio says, smiling as he takes a drink of coffee. “Not how I thought it was going to go.”

Beth laughs a little at that. “Did they go to sleep okay?”

“Wanted another story but I convinced them to save it for another time.”

“The nightlight was on and Jane had her dubby?”

He frowns at the word before realisation washes over. “The pink blanket? Yeah, she got it. And Emma put the nightlight on.”

She sighs. No doubt she’ll look in on all of them a little late but the dubby is always essential. “Good. Jane will only start panicking if she realises she doesn’t have it.”

He nods a little and it seems like they’re going to lapse into silence so she takes the opportunity to change the conversation. “Um, I was actually wondering if you could stick around for a little longer?”

He raises a brow, that sly smile already slipping into place. “What you got in mind?”

“Not whatever you’re thinking,” she says as she hits his arm which earns a slight chuckle. “I texted Annie and Ruby to come over. They shouldn’t be too long actually.”

There’s a momentary look of confusion. “This you asking me to join girls night?”

Beth rolls her eyes at him. “No. I was just thinking that this custody thing might be done soon. There’s nothing to stop us from really pushing with Boland Motors and Book Club once it is.”

He nods a little. “And?”

“Well, I know we’ve discussed it,’ she says. “But I thought if the four of us talked about it, it would be better. I want to assure them that they don’t _have_ to get involved and for now it’s still just about washing the money.”

“And when it’s not just the money?” he asks.

“I want them to know we’ll have the same conversation,” she tells him. “And that they can choose to back out if they want to. If they want in now, that doesn’t mean they’re signing up to be involved with whatever Book Club _could_ go into in the future.”

“So I got to be here why?” Although she notes that he doesn’t seem to be saying no to the idea, just curious.

“Because I want them to know and you’re onboard with this,” Beth explains. “I don’t want them thinking that we have to convince you of anything.”

He finishes up his coffee as he seems to think it over. When he’s done with his drink, he sets the mug down. “Could maybe stick around.”

“ _Rio_.”

With that, he grins and moves to stand in front of her. He places his hands either side of her on the countertop and leans in so close that his lips are practically pressed against hers. “Yeah?”

“Imposs-” But he cuts her off with a kiss.

* * *

“Is everything okay?” Annie asks, eyes going straight to Rio as she enters the kitchen with Ruby not too far behind her.

“Everything’s fine,” Beth assures, motioning generally to the island counter. “Sit down, I’ll get you both a drink.”

“I just want a coffee,” Ruby says as they sit down. “Unless I need something stronger?”

“No, it’s all good,” Beth tells her as she pours Annie a drink of bourbon and slides it over before turning to grab the coffee pot. “We just wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Oh,” Annie starts. “Is this you finally willing to share details about you guys-”

“No,” Beth cuts in before her sister can say anything more as she tries not to think about the fact that Rio had just had her hoisted up on the counter top, kissing her until her lips were sore. “It’s business.”

“Oh, sweet Jesus,” Ruby mutters. “I might need something stronger.”

Beth turns around and slides her coffee over. “You’re fine.”

“So, boss man,” Annie says, pausing momentarily to sip on her bourbon as she looks at Rio. “What you got us doing now?”

“Elizabeth.”

And as he looks at her, one brow slightly raised, amused look on his face, she does her best not to smile. “Well, as I told you both, Rio wants to up the whole money situation.”

“And that would include…?” Annie asks.

“More of my cars on the lot,” Rio supplies.

“And if we can move them all as quickly as we have been,” Beth starts. “It’ll mean more money, more often.”

“You definitely have my attention,” Annie says.

“What does that mean for us?”

Beth isn’t entirely surprised by the question, it’s partly why she called them in in the first place and wanted Rio to be around. “Nothing is going to change,” she tries to assure. “You can help as little or as much as you want. If you want to do work around the dealership and stay away from Book Club, that’s fine.”

Ruby lets out a breath and she seems thankful. “B, I said I was going to help and I want to continue to where I can but-”

“Don’t.” Beth waves her off. “I understand, okay? I just want to keep you both in the loop so you can be aware.”

“Nothing will change,” Rio adds. “Just the amount you gotta wash every week.”

“So, when does all this happen?” Annie asks.

“We’re hoping gradually,” Rio supplies. 

“But consistently,” Beth says. “We don’t want to rock the boat too much but Boland Motors is doing good generally anyway so it makes sense to expand Book Club along with it.”

“And we’re just sticking to the money?” Ruby asks, eyes darting to Rio.

“For now,” he says. “There’s always potential for more.”

Annie looks between them all until her eyes settle on Rio. “And more means…?”

“It ain’t your problem right now,” he says with a slight shrug. 

“We'll have this same conversation if we move into other things,” Beth assures. “If you don't want to be involved in what’s to come next, that's okay.”

Rio nods in agreement and both Annie and Ruby look relieved at that. He nudges Beth gently with his shoulder. “I gotta go but keep me updated, yeah?”

She instinctively bumps her shoulder back against his. “Yeah.”

He smiles like he knows what she’s thinking (and she’s not entirely sure he _doesn’t_ ) before he nods in the general direction of Annie and Ruby and slips over towards the back door. Once the door clicks shut behind him, Beth forces herself to focus back on the conversation at hand before anyone (mainly Annie) can make any kind of comments and shift the topic to something else.

“You don’t have to decide anything right away,” Beth tells them. “Depending on how things go, the extra cars will be coming in this week. The end of next week at the latest but if this custody things drag out, things might not change right away.”

“I could maybe help out at the dealership when they come in,” Ruby offers. “Make sure everything else is running well while you deal with that.”

“And I can help you deal with that,” Annie adds to which Beth smiles appreciatively but then, of course, her sister keeps talking. “Now, no offence, it seems like you and gang friend have the whole thing sorted out right now. You know we’re on board and it seems pretty much the same as what we’ve been doing so…”

Beth rolls her eyes a little. “Just spit it out.”

“How are things going with Dean?”

And _that_ wasn’t what she was expecting at all. “Oh, uh, well, my lawyer called me. Apparently Dean and his lawyer haven’t got much so she’s drafted up the agreement I want in the hopes they’ll maybe agree to it and we’re meeting on Thursday.”

“You think he will agree?” Ruby asks.

“I don’t know,” Beth admits. “Their investigation into Rio hasn’t turned anything up so I’m hoping his lawyer will advise him to take what he can get. I mean, I’m asking for joint custody, I’m definitely offering the better deal.”

“Oh definitely,” Annie agrees. “Are you sure they haven’t found anything? I mean, Dean knows a fair bit.”

“It’s just his word.” Beth shrugs. “Rio’s lawyer was cooperative in helping them retrieve the information they were legally allowed to obtain anyway but it’s all stuff that everyone already knows about. There’s nothing illegal or worrying to find.”

“Wait, wait,” Annie says, waving her arms about. “Rio’s lawyer?”

“Yeah,” Ruby agrees. “She’s helping you now?”

“Well, _no_ ,” Beth says. “Diane knows her and they spoke. Rio gave them the okay to be cooperative with Dean’s little investigation.”

“So gang friend is in the loop?” Annie asks as Ruby adds, “how does your lawyer know his lawyer?”

“Yes, Rio is in the loop,” Beth supplies. “And my lawyer was his lawyer for a time. Diane actually gave him Gretchen’s number when she couldn’t represent him anymore.”

Ruby frowns. “So he essentially gave you his lawyer?”

“She’s not his lawyer anymore but yes, he recommended her to me.”

Annie narrows her eyes. “And what else? You’re keeping something from us.”

“She owed him one,” Beth says, voice barely above a whisper. “So, she lowered her fee for me.”

“Damn, B,” Ruby says, letting a low whistle. “She must be good, right? To represent Rio.”

She shrugs a little. “Yeah, she’s been great so far.”

“Is there something else we should know?” Ruby prompts as she eyes Beth suspiciously.

“No,” she says, waving them off. “I just… It’s so stupid.”

“Spit it out, sis,” Annie says as she reaches for the bottle of bourbon and tops up her glass.

“I guess I’ve just been worrying about everything,” Beth admits. “About jumping back into Book Club and working with Rio so quickly and telling Dean about him being back as early as I did. I kept thinking that maybe if I hadn’t got involved again, I wouldn’t even be dealing with fighting for custody.”

“So you think Rio is the problem?” Annie asks.

“That you’re gonna lose the kids ‘cause of Book Club?” Ruby adds.

“Well, _no_ , not Rio specifically but he was why Dean came out with the original ultimatum and after I mentioned Rio was back and would be working with us, he suddenly got a lawyer.” Beth lets out a sigh. “It didn’t take me long to realise that I was being stupid and _Dean_ is the problem here.”

“What made you realise?”

Beth takes the bottle of bourbon from her sister and pours herself a drink. “I always knew deep down but today made me see sense. I think everything was just piling up.”

“What happened today?” Ruby asks as she shares a curious look with Annie.

“He was around a lot,” she explains. “Made breakfast for me and the kids, actually answered my questions, came back here because the kids wanted to see him again.” She catches the knowing look that the two of them share but chooses to ignore it. “He was reading a bedtime story to the girls when I texted you guys.”

“He read to them?”

“Like with the voices and everything?” Annie asks.

She can’t help but smile at that. “I asked if he does the voices but he wouldn’t tell me and I decided to just stay down here.”

Ruby looks like she’s trying to process the whole thing, her face going through an array of emotions. “So, the kids _wanted_ him to read them a story?”

“Uh huh, they asked him.”

“Okay, no offence to gang friend,” Annie says, as she frowns. “But I do not look at him and think, ‘yeah, he could tell a great bedtime story.’”

“They like him.”

“Oh, they like him do they?”

Beth looks from her sister to her best friend. “Yeah, well, that’s what they told me.”

That seems to stun both of them but it’s Annie that speaks. “Wait, for real?”

She deliberately looks away from them. “Yeah, right after they asked if he was my boyfriend.”

“I taught them well,” Annie says dreamily.

Ruby rolls her eyes. “What’d you tell them?”

“That he wasn’t but that we spend a lot of time together,” Beth supplies. “But I did promise that I would tell them if I had a boyfriend.”

“How’d they seem?” Ruby asks.

“A little disappointed that he wasn’t.”

Annie blinks. “Even Kenny?”

“Yeah, kinda,” she says, thinking back on it. “I mean they were all in agreement that I seemed happier and Kenny noted that Rio being here and Dean leaving were the only things that changed.”

Ruby lets out a low whistle. “Wow. I figured he would be the first one _against_ you moving on with anyone.”

“Yeah, definitely sounds like he would be okay with it.”

Beth sips a little of her bourbon. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“But the Dean stuff is going okay?”

Her eyes dart to Ruby. “Yeah. Like I said, Thursday is about getting him to look at the agreement and maybe sign it but I…”

Annie rolls her hand as if telling her to continue on. “You…?”

“I’m meeting with Diane slightly earlier so I can tell her everything that Dean’s done, make sure she’s fully up to date,” Beth admits. “I don’t want her to use it per se but I want her to be informed so we can decide what to do next.”

“It’s the best choice,” Annie says.

“Uh huh,” Ruby agrees. “Lord knows that Dean isn’t taking your feelings into consideration here so why should you take his?”

Beth mulls that over because they’re not wrong. Joint custody was always to make it easier on the kids and really, she doesn’t have to spare Dean’s feelings to get there. He’ll get over it eventually. And if he doesn’t, well then, let him sulk for as long as he wants.

“Do you guys need to rush off?”

Annie grins. “Nope.”

Ruby’s already pulling out her phone. “I’ll call Stan.”

* * *

The night had slowly turned into an unplanned girls night. They caught up on the shows they’d missed - being careful not to have the volume too loud - and ate their way through as many snacks as they could find. Right before they got settled, Beth took the chance to check in on the kids and found all four of them sound asleep.

It had been exactly what she needed. The entire night, she didn’t think once about her upcoming meeting and it was Heaven sent. She simply drank, ate, and enjoyed TV that she knew was not worth her time but enjoyed anyway. The next morning, she’s in the kitchen making up the lunches for the kids who are still fast asleep upstairs when her phone pings. Finishing up the last lunch, she picks it up to find a text from Arkin.

**A:** Hey, is Sunday still a good day to drop by the dealership?

**B:** Of course. Why?

**A:** Rio says the inventory might be increasing and wants me to look over the numbers before they do. It might mean I’m around longer but I can always change the day.

Beth frowns at the text. She wasn’t quite sure they were at that point to really start planning, figured they might wait until they were sure it was the next step but then, Rio is always several steps ahead.

**B:** Sunday’s good. Did he say when we would be upping the numbers?

**A:** He was hoping sometime after Thursday but he made it clear that this was just hypothetical right now. Doesn’t want to push the dealership beyond its limits.

**B:** Better to be prepared.

She laughs when the next message that comes through is an emoji that’s winking while also sticking its tongue out. Switching to her text thread with Rio, she tells him about the conversation with Arkin and asks if he wants to come over to talk about it all before the kids go to school.

When it’s sent, she focuses on making breakfast, opting to make a large batch of pancakes (although she stays away from blueberries, the thought alone enough to make her blush). It’s just when she piles them up onto a large plate that she hears the side door click open and shut. She smiles to herself as she pops everything into the sink and grabs enough plates for the kids.

However, when she turns around, Rio is still by the doorway with his hands tucked into his hoodie. He’s not exactly looking at her and it doesn’t seem like he’s planning on sticking around either.

She sets the plates down on the island counter. “Is everything okay?”

“You text me.”

“Oh, I just…” Her brow furrows. “Just…”

“Just…? Just what?”

He looks like he wants to be anywhere else, that just being there, talking to her, isn’t worth his time and that just makes her even more confused. “I don’t know, I thought we could talk. Getting Arkin to go over everything is a great idea.”

Rio shrugs as if he really is bored. “I know.”

“Thought we could talk in more detail about the next steps,” Beth says, eyeing him carefully.

“I got it handled.”

She just stares at him for a moment. “You’ve got it handled?”

“Yeah, you ain’t got to worry about it. I’ll let you know when we’re good to go.” He turns as if he’s about to leave. “I supply, you sell, right?”

She can’t help but feel a little stunned. “I thought we were going to go through it all together?”

“Nah,” Rio says and it seems like he’s growing impatient. “These things work better if you stay in your little lane, yeah?”

“My…” She looks him up and down. “My little lane?”

“Uh huh.” He smiles but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes as he opens the side door. “I’ll be in touch.”

He doesn’t wait for her to respond as he steps outside, letting the door swing shut behind him. Beth just stares at it, a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach that makes her want to scream or be sick or _something_. She can’t get over how the Rio she saw just now was completely different to the Rio from yesterday. It makes her angry that she’s already unable to stop herself from crying.


	13. Incentive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rio puts a plan into motion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Firstly, I want to say a quick thank you to anyone who commented on the last chapter or left a comment during the little hiatus this fic went on. I read each of them and appreciate them all.
> 
> Secondly, this chapter overlaps with the previous one so there’ll be repeated lines and whatnot :)

As he slips out the door, Rio can still feel where Beth bumped her shoulder back against his. He rubs the spot, unable to stop himself from smiling and Christ when had it gotten like that? It’s not like he's immune - he’s felt that warm, fuzzy feeling in his chest before - but this wasn't the same. This wasn’t being a dad, or being with his family, or even being good at what he does, this was something entirely different.

He’s almost at his car, head lost in thought over the whole thing when it dawns on him that he left one of his rings in the girls’ bedroom. It’s a black one that he doesn't wear all that often. There's nothing particularly special about it but Emma had spotted it and reached over to touch it before she climbed into bed. She was so fascinated by it that he slipped it off and let her hold onto it before he settled down on the floor between her and Jane's beds to tell them a story. When he got up to make sure that Jane had her blanket and to tuck both of them in properly, Emma wasn’t quite asleep and had held the ring out to him. He had put it on her bedside table so he could finish adjusting her blankets and forget to pick it back up again. 

If he’s being honest, he doesn’t  _ need _ it. It can certainly wait for another time but who is he to deny himself a perfectly good excuse to go back into the house? And really, his mind was made up the second he realised his ring was missing because he’s already walking away from his car.

Seen as he knows the back door is unlocked, Rio heads round that way and slips inside. Just as he's about to close the door behind him, he hears his name and realises that they're talking about him. He quietly shuts the back door and hovers there so he can remain out of sight and listen in for a moment.

“Damn, B,” Ruby says, letting a low whistle. “She must be good, right? To represent Rio.”

He figures they must be talking about Diane and it’s confirmed when Beth speaks but her voice seems unsure like she’s debating whether she's said too much already. “Yeah, she’s been great so far.”

“Is there something else we should know?” Ruby asks and Rio can just picture it, the way Beth is probably not quite meeting their eye. If she has a drink in hand, she’ll be tapping her fingers against it or swirling the contents.

“No,” she says. “I just… It’s so stupid.”

“Spit it out, sis,” Annie says as Rio leans in a little closer to hear better while still trying to avoid being seen. He really  _ should _ just walk in there but he knows they’ll stop talking if he does and now he’s heard that uncertainty in Beth's voice, he's curious.

“I guess I’ve just been worrying about everything,” she admits and it sounds like the biggest understatement of the year but then she gets a little more specific. “About jumping back into Book Club and working with Rio so quickly and telling Dean about him being back as early as I did. I kept thinking that maybe if I hadn’t got involved again, I wouldn’t even be dealing with fighting for custody.”

His stomach clenches and he’s already reaching for the door handle as Annie asks, “so you think Rio is the problem?”

And he can’t do it, can’t hear the answer. He’s opening the back door when Ruby adds, "that you’re gonna lose the kids ‘cause of Book Club?”

Rio doesn't wait for a response. He steps outside and shuts the door behind him instead. As he takes a moment to let the cool air wash over him, he knows he should go back inside and actually hear her response but now it’s got him thinking and he  _ can’t _ . No, he's got work to do.

* * *

If he's going to focus on business and make sure everything goes smoothly, the first thing Rio is going to have to do is see Arkin which is how he ends up sitting on the steps leading up to his front door. Not wanting to disturb his Ma, Rio sends a quick text to know he’s waiting outside. It doesn’t take long for the light to come on and for the front door to click open and then shut again.

“Ma’s up in her room already,” Arkin supplies. “You can come in if you want. In fact, she’d probably be happy to see you.”

“Another time,” Rio says. “Here for business. It’s no big deal.”

A moment later, Arkin sits down on the step beside him. Rio glances at him. He’s wearing sweatpants and an oversized sweater that suggests he’s about ready to go to bed. “I disturb you?”

“Nah, just wanted to get cosy,” he says, waving him off. “So, what brings you to my front door?”

“I need you to do something for me when you got to the dealership on Sunday.”

Arkin’s brow furrows, his jaw rocking slightly. “Do what exactly?”

“The inventory might be increasing,” Rio explains. “I need you to go over the numbers before it does.”

“Is there a timeline on this?”

It’s all guesswork at this point but he decides he has to tell Arkin  _ something _ . Right now he just wants to keep working and until he can clear things up with Beth, he knows he can’t have a proper timeline put in place. “Sometime after Thursday but it's all hypothetical right now, okay? I don't wanna push the dealership beyond its limits so I need you to make sure we’re capable of it.”

“That sounds like a good plan.” Arkin taps his fingers against the palm of his other hand. “This could’ve been said over the phone, so why are you here?”

“Need you to check with Elizabeth and make sure Sunday is still a good day,” Rio says. “She’s got a lot going on. Don’t want her stuff fucking with this, y’know? Let her know you got extra work so she’s got plenty of notice.”

“Or do you not want this fucking with her stuff?”

Rio rocks his jaw gently and just- “No. It ain't that.”

“You’re usually a good liar,” Arkin comments.

“Just do it, yeah?” he says, the words coming out slightly bitter.

“No.”

Rio blinks at him. “Excuse me?”

“Mrs B is a nice lady,” Arkin says and Rio knows that tone. It’s quiet and calm but under the surface, the intention is everything but. “You can’t just screw with her, yeah? You're right, she’s got a lot of shit going on right now and the fact you got me checking with her means that she doesn’t know you’re here. You’re meant to be her partner, yeah? Not to mention, it’s  _ her _ dealership.”

“I knew you and her getting on was gonna bite me in the ass,” Rio mumbles as he runs a hand over his face. “Listen, I ain’t screwing with her, yeah? Not really anyway. I’m gonna push her out a little but for good reason.”

He shakes his head. “That makes no sense.”

Rio sighs before adjusting his positioning so he’s facing Arkin. “She’s been worried that working with me and thinks that getting back into business is what led to her custody battle. That if she hadn’t of told carman about me being back, it wouldn’t have happened.”

Arkin scoffs. “Come on, you know she doesn’t think that.”

_ She said it _ , he thinks but he can't say that because he didn’t stick around to confirm it. “Don’t matter if she thinks it now or not. It crossed her mind.”

The look he gets in return is one of disgust, a look he’s seen from Arkin before but has never been on the receiving end of. “So, what? You’re gonna punish her?”

“Nah.” Rio drops his head, hand rubbing at the back of his neck. “I’m gonna push her out for now so she's less involved. Gonna let her focus on just selling the cars and counting the money which fits into her work schedule anyway. I’ll even get one of my guys to do pick-ups so she don’t got to drop the money off.”

Arkin frowns. “Okay, now I’m confused.”

“If she ain’t worrying about business, she’s got more time to focus on getting custody,” Rio explains as he lifts his head again. 

“Or maybe you’re just afraid she’s gonna fuck up your work,” Arkin points out, the distaste coming through in the tone of his voice. “She’s got other priorities that have nothing to do with your or your business and maybe you think her split attention will mess things up.”

Rio shakes his head because no,  _ no _ , that’s not it. It was never that. Yeah, her split attention might mess things up, it kind of has in the past already but that was never a motivation. “Her husband ain’t got shit on me but if I create some separation…”

“He might back down without things getting too far.” Arkin begins to exhale slowly as he nods his head a little like he truly understands. “Alright, so I’m feeling better about this but can’t you just talk to her?”

“Sure, about lessening things with the business.”

“But not in terms of staying away from you.”

“I don’t even know if I can stay away from her,” Rio admits. “Thought I was doing just fine for those six months then I saw her again and just couldn’t let go. She told me she was still out and I kept pushing.”

“Trust me, you didn’t drag her back in,” Arkin assures. “I’ve not spent too much time with her but even I can see she’s built for this.”

“Tell me about.” He laughs a little because he does think about it all the time. How good she is at what they do, how easily and quickly she fitted it. And Arkin's right, even if he wasn’t there, pushing her, she probably would have fallen back into their line of business at some point. “Don't want her to leave again but if she’s mad at me, she’ll keep her distance, giving her time to focus on her other shit. And then I can’t be tempted.”

Arkin sighs. “She’s gonna hate you.”

Rio shrugs. “And she might have an even better chance at getting her kids back. If carman thinks we’re seeing each other less, he might think she’s coming around.”

“From what I know, he’s a bit of a fuck up, can't you both just go after him with all of that?”

“Don’t think she will.”

“Why are you deciding this now?”

“When she was talking about it all and her sister asked if I was the problem, I felt my stomach clench.” He feels stupid telling Arkin this. Normally wouldn’t dream of telling anyone but he knows Arkin is a good kid and might be one of the few people to actually understand. “Knowing she was worried like that… I get that me being around did fuck all except escalate the timeline, her husband would’ve done it eventually regardless.”

“But it doesn’t stop you feeling bad,” Arkin comments like he knows and Rio glances up to where his Ma’s bedroom is and figures that Arkin probably does know in some way. “So you gotta do what you can to help.”

“If forcing her to take a step back is what I got to do then…” He shrugs.

"I still think you should tell her." Arkin lets out a long, slow breath. “She's gonna be hurt if you just start pushing her out but then,” he gives a little defeated shrug, “I’ve seen you two together in a room so maybe it won’t be hard to pull it back.”

Rio laughs a little. “Oh, yeah?”

"Sexual tension.” Arkin motions a cutting action with his hand. “Knife.”

He rolls his eyes. Maybe it is the wrong move but if it works, if she does end up keeping her distance, she can focus more on her kids and he can at least get started on taking their business to the next level so that’s ready for her. It’s only temporary. Diane is good at her job and Rio doesn’t doubt that the whole custody debacle will be over sooner rather than later. If he can keep Beth close enough so that she doesn’t leave entirely, he can make it up to her later. They’ve already come back for so much. Besides, it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission and all that.

“She’s gonna get hurt,” Arkin repeats when the silence stretches on.

“Are  _ you _ gonna be okay with that?”

“Man, I know we’re friends…” Rio shifts a little, focus completely on Arkin so he knows he’s listening. “But I really like Mrs B, alright? She’s really nice and just…  _ warm.  _ I kind of get that you gotta hurt her to help her and whatnot but if I notice you’re screwing with her for real…”

Rio’s brow go up. “Go on.”

“We ain’t gonna be so friendly anymore.”

He rocks his jaw a little as he looks Arkin over. It’s that same tone again, the one that says he isn’t messing around. He might not have dragged the kid that deep into his life but he’s still seen him fight, seen that he can be ruthless when he has to. It’s not hard to imagine what it might be like to be on the wrong side of that anger.

“A’ight,” Rio says, nodding his head a little. “I take it too far, you get a free punch.”

“I’ll do more than punch you.” His tone is serious but after a moment he smiles. “She doesn’t deserve it. I know she’s done shit with getting you arrested and all but that’s in the past.”

He reaches over and squeezes Arkin’s shoulder. “It’s gonna be fine. It’s only temporary and if she’s still angry after, she’ll probably use that free punch for herself.”

Arkin seems to think that over for a moment. “That might be more satisfying than doing it myself.”

Rio shoves him gently and both of them begin to laugh.

* * *

Arkin must do what he’s asked because the next day Rio gets a text from Beth to meet at her house. The whole time, he prepares himself, right up until he’s at her side door. When he first steps into the kitchen, she’s got her back to him and doesn’t lookup. She’s been making pancakes, he can smell them and any other time he’d steal one for himself. After putting some things into the sink, she grabs some plates out of the cupboard. 

While she does all of this, Rio forces himself to remain by the doorway. The quicker he can leave, the better. He tucks his hands into his hoodie pockets, not trusting himself. He’ll want to touch her if she gets too close, he knows he will. It’ll be worse if she gets upset. Luckily he’s able to throw up that mask of difference by the time she places the plates on the island counter and turns to face him.

“Is everything okay?”

She sounds so unsure but he squashes down the temptation to back out of his plan. “You text me.”

“Oh, I just…” Her brow furrows. “Just…”

“Just…? Just what?”

Rio pushes himself to sound a little mocking, like he’s almost bored of her and the entire situation. It’s easy to clock how confused she is. Her brow furrows even more and her mouth forms into a tight line like she’s trying to figure something out.

“I don’t know, I thought we could talk. Getting Arkin to go over everything is a great idea.”

And  _ Christ _ , he hates how she’s trying to sound positive about that last part despite her confusion. He manages to keep his face completely blank as he shrugs. “I know.”

“Thought we could talk in more detail about the next steps,” she says, eyeing him carefully.

“I got it handled.”

It’s too tempting to look away because now she’s staring but Rio forces himself to keep looking at her instead. “You’ve got it handled?”

“Yeah, you ain’t got to worry about it. I’ll let you know when we’re good to go.” He knows it’s not fair. Pushing her out  _ is _ the plan but standing in front of her makes the realities hit him a little too hard so he starts to turn away. “I supply, you sell, right?”

“I thought we were going to go through it all together?” 

The surprise is evident in her voice. Rio begins to think about all of the times he’d been angry at her. He channels it all in until he can mimic that level of impatience that he’s felt with her in the past. “Nah. “These things work better if you stay in your little lane, yeah?”

“My…My little lane?”

“Uh huh.” Rio allows himself to smile a little. It doesn’t quite reach his eyes -  _ that _ he can’t force - and he opens the side door. “I’ll be in touch.”

Already, he can clock the way her eyes change. He can tell she’s going to cry at some point - whether it be out of anger or sadness, he’s not entirely sure - so with that, he steps outside before she can actually respond. He leaves the door to swing shut behind him and just keeps walking until he’s in his car and then he’s driving away. The entire time he pushes down the images that are starting to form of how upset she’s probably going to be. All he can do is hope it does manifest as anger and she uses it to fuel her fight to keep her kids at home.

Or maybe he needs Arkin to take that free punch,  _ anything _ to make the guilt go away. He almost longs for the times where he could just point a gun to her head and feel nothing at all. The moments where he would have killed her and not felt the slightest bit of regret. He wishes for that anger he had when he realised she got him arrested. But no, all he feels is guilty. It’s really no surprise when trying to push down those images doesn’t work and just  _ God _ , he wants to feel anything else.

Before he even realises it, Rio’s pulling over to the side of some random road. He takes out his phone and dials. It’s only when it begins to ring that he sinks into his seat and closes his eyes. The call picks up almost immediately.

“Daddy!”

Rio lets out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. “Hey, pop.”

“I’m about to have breakfast,” he says happily. “Mom made eggs.”

It already makes him feel better, eases a tightness in his chest he hadn’t fully been aware of before but isn’t exactly surprised by either. “That’s good. You got everything ready for school?”

Marcus hums in agreement. “Are you taking me?”

“Not today, pop,” Rio says although it is tempting. “Just wanted to say hi.”

“Are you okay?”

And that catches Rio off guard. He sits up straighter and coughs away from the phone to clear his throat a little. When he speaks again, he tries to sound brighter. “Yeah, I’m okay. Are  _ you _ ?”

Marcus chooses to ignore the question. “You don’t sound okay.”

“You caught me.” He sighs, running a hand over his face. “Daddy just upset someone.”

“Did you say sorry?”

And Rio almost laughs at how serious he sounds. “Not yet.”

“Do you like them?”

“Yeah,” he admits.

“You gotta say sorry then,” Marcus points out.

“I know,” Rio agrees. He knows it could be that easy. It wouldn’t take much to turn the car around and go back but he  _ can’t _ . Something deep inside of him needs this thing with her to work out in the long run. Their past dealings have told him that her kids come first and if she loses them, he loses her. “You got some eggs to eat, yeah?”

“Yeah, they’re nearly done.”

“Well, go wash your hands, I’ll call you tonight, okay?”

He can practically hear Marcus’ grin. “Love you, daddy.”

“Yeah.” Rio makes a little noise in the back of his throat. “I love you.”

Rio waits for the ruffling sound on the other end that tells him Marcus has pulled the phone away from his ear and then he hangs up to make sure the line is definitely disconnected. The conversation was long enough and purposeful enough to allow Rio to refocus his attention just so and put those feelings of guilt at bay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha, bear with me, there _will_ be more talk between Rio and Arkin about the former's "plan" in future chapters as well as the effects of it.


	14. Deliberations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beth has three conversations.

After Rio left her kitchen, Beth had no choice but to stop crying. The sound of the kids moving around upstairs gave her just enough time to wipe away her tears and press a cold bottle of water to her eyes to try and reduce any potential puffiness. It seemed to work because none of the kids asked any questions nor did they make any comments. In fact, breakfast was so uneventful that the school run went a lot smoother than usual. Afterwards, she did her best to get some housework done, delaying having to go into the dealership as much as possible and that’s how Beth finds herself outside Annie’s apartment, knocking on the door repeatedly because it’s early enough that she might still be in bed.

Beth can’t stop thinking about what happened in her kitchen. How uninterested Rio seemed to be with. It didn’t make any sense. They had been good, even making plans to further their business. Still, it had felt so genuine and so familiar that just thinking about it makes her eyes begin to water again.  _ These things work better if you stay in your little lane, yeah? _ She racks her brain, trying to figure out what could have happened, what she could have done wrong.

Her persistent knocking finally works because the door flies open suddenly revealing Annie, hair much like a bird’s nest. She’s got on an old pair of blue shorts, a grey pullover hoodie (that Beth notes, is stained beyond saving), and one sock. “I was  _ sleeping _ , what kind of monster are you?”

It seems to take her a moment to register who is at her door and that only serves to make her groan, sidestepping just enough so that Beth can slip into the apartment. She wanders over to grab some coffee as the door closes.

“Did Sadie get to school?”

“Yes. I just decided to go back to bed.”

Beth fills up two relatively clean mugs with coffee before carrying them over to join Annie on the couch. She’s at one end with her legs tucked beneath her so, handing one of the coffees over, Beth decides to kick her shoes off and sit in the same manner at the other end. The two of them are positioned so that their sides are pressed to the back of the couch, allowing them to face each other. 

“How come?” 

“Because I have the day off work,” Annie comments, sipping at her coffee. “And some of us aren’t weirdos that like to be awake at some ungodly hour.”

“It’s not even that early!”

Annie scoffs. “It is when you’ve got nothing to do. Which, speaking of, what are you doing here?”

Beth uses the excuse of drinking her coffee in order to take a moment. “I had nothing pressing to do and it’s not like I’m  _ needed _ at the dealership so there’s no need to rush over there.”

“You  _ always _ have something to do and we both know you run that place better than Dean.”

As much as she wants to, it’s impossible to avoid looking at Annie and even if her sister wasn’t insistent on keeping eye contact, looking away would only make her look guilty. “I have a meeting tomorrow with Diane. We’re going to finalise the custody agreement and see if Dean will sign it.”

“And that has you coming over to my apartment this early?”

“I’m going to tell her about all the things Dean has done.”

Annie’s eyes grow wide. “Like,  _ everything _ ?”

Beth hums in affirmation. “I’m still not sure if I want her to use it but I think it’ll be better if she’s aware.”

“I say you should use it.”

“Well, that’s really no surprise,” she says, deliberately ignoring the offended look that Annie gives her. “Besides, I want to see if he’ll agree to the arrangement I’ve put together. Diane has already set it up with his lawyer although we haven’t them specifically about the agreement.”

Annie doesn’t look particularly convinced. “Not to be that person but he hasn’t agreed on it so far.”

“Yes  _ but _ we’ve also never fully talked about every detail,” Beth explains. “He usually just counters by saying he thinks he should have primary custody.”

“And you think it’ll be different this time?”

If anything, Beth knows she’s just trying to delay things. While she doesn’t want this to drag out and she’s adamant she’ll do anything to keep her kids, a small part of her is worried that when the end comes, it won’t be in her favour.

“I’m hoping if it’s in writing, he’ll see how serious I am or at the very least, he’ll get bored one night and actually read it over.”

Annie snorts. “Maybe but now are you gonna tell me why you’re really here?”

“What- What do you…” Beth blinks a little. “I had nothing to do.”

“Nope.” Annie shakes her head. “I’m not buying it, something is running around in that head of yours.”

“Yeah, my meeting tomorrow.”

“It’s something else.”

Beth lets out a breath at how convinced Annie sounds. It wouldn’t be the worst idea to talk to her about what happened. They’ve had plenty of conversations about Dean, to go through something that he had said or done. Steeling herself, she leans over and puts her mug down on the coffee table.

“Rio came by this morning.”

The look Annie gives her borders on disgust. “Do I want to know?”

“ _ Now _ you don’t want details?” Beth asks in disbelief before shaking her head. “It’s nothing like that anyway. I asked him to come over for business.”

“So…?”

“He’s getting Arkin to go over the books on Sunday so we’re prepared to increase the numbers,” she explains. “I wanted to talk about what’ll happen after the books are checked but Rio didn’t want to talk about it, he was so… So  _ off _ .”

Annie frowns. “Are you sure? I mean no offence but it is gang friend, he’s not exactly forthcoming at the best of times”

“No, this was different,” she insists. “He was acting like he’d rather be anywhere else. He was so dismissive and told me he had everything handled.”

“Well, he usually does,” Annie points out.

“But we’re supposed to do this  _ together _ .” She can feel herself growing frustrated. “He told me to stay in my lane.”

“Are you sure you didn’t misunderstand anything?” Beth gives her a look and Annie rolls her eyes. “Alright, alright, so no misunderstanding but if you’re in this together, why not just talk to him?”

Beth shifts so she can stretch her legs out. “I might wait until Arkin comes to the dealership on Sunday. Rio should go over the numbers and decide what the next steps are, I'll make sure I'm there for it. I deserve to be involved and if I give him no warning, he might relent and let me back in.”

“Or he could shoot you.”

And the funny thing is, her problems with Rio used to be that simple.

* * *

After she left Annie’s apartment, Beth had gone to the dealership where she kept her head down in order to avoid Dean. It gave her plenty of time to make a mental list of all the things he had done as well as any proof she might have as well as the time to talk herself into actually handing all of that information over. It helped that the initial upset over Rio’s dismissal turned into anger. She allowed herself to hold onto it so that the urge to reach out to him and figure it all out didn’t take over. There were too many things to do and Beth had to prioritise. She was fairly confident that no big steps would be taken before Arkin checked over the books so she was safe in pushing it aside while she dealt with the other things going on in her life. 

Now, the following day, she sits in Diane’s office. It’s about twice the size of Beth’s office at Boland Motors and while the windows are huge, there’s significantly less of them. At one end of the room is a large desk and at the other end is a round table with six chairs which is where the pair of them are sat. Diane’s got a pad and pen in front of her, ready to take notes.

“I won’t use any of this without your say so,” she reminds. “But the more I know, the better I can use it later if you decide.”

Beth nods, deciding it would be best just to get it over with. “He got us into debt.”

“How bad?”

“Three mortgages and some maxed-out credit cards,” she explains. “We were close to losing the house. I could probably get you all the paperwork if you need it.”

Diane scribbles down some notes. “And that was the first thing?”

“No.” Beth sucks in a breath. “His cheating came before that. He maxed out his card buying something for  _ her _ and well, that’s when I discovered the debt.”

“He cheated the once or…?”

“More than once,” she offers. “Multiple women.”

After a few more scribbles, Diane looks to her and Beth’s thankful there’s no sympathy or pity there. “Is there anything else?”

“A couple more things,” Beth says. “He, uh, he faked cancer.”

Diane’s normal, professional demeanour falters and she gapes a little before recollecting herself. “Do you want to talk me through that?”

“I was kicking him out after my eldest’s birthday party and he sprung it on me.”

“So, he wasn’t living with you at the time?”

“He was at a motel. I let him move back in because of the cancer. There was a doctor who confirmed it.”

“I’ll need their name at some point and any other information you have about that appointment plus any other documentation or proof,” Diane comments as she adds more notes. “When did you find out it was a lie?”

“He got into a car crash,” Beth explains. “Nothing too bad but when I asked if anything would interfere with his treatment, nobody knew what I was talking about.”

“You didn’t suspect before that?”

And there’s no accusation in her words nor does she sound condescending but still, Beth has to try and push away the sensation of feeling stupid all over again. It’s  _ Dean _ how had he been able to keep all of those lies up for so long? Even though him being open to her going to appointments and being involved with his treatment kept her from really questioning anything, it was a huge risk. If even the slightest detail went wrong the whole thing would have crumbled.

“I had no reason to. He was always so willing to let me be involved.”

“You said before that there were a couple more things,” Diane prompts.

“Yeah but I don’t really have any proof for the other thing.”

“That doesn’t matter right now. There might be proof you haven’t considered that I can help you find. And if not, there’s no harm in letting me know.”

“You  _ can’t _ use this unless I say so, proof or not,” Beth warns. “Under no circumstances is this to come up.”

“I won’t,” Diane promises, motioning between them. “This is confidential. In fact, I won’t even write it down.” She closes the pad and sets the pen on top of it before sliding both away from her a little. “If this other thing really is a big deal to you, I’ll keep no records of it unless you say so.”

Beth sighs. “He tried to have Rio killed.”

Diane blinks, pulling back a little. “And Mr Boland is still walking around?”

She laughs a little, something short and nervous. “He only looked into it, he never actually went through with it.”

“What did you do?” Diane asks before elaborating, “to convince him to stop.”

Beth swallows. Was it that obvious? “I agreed to stay with him,” she supplies. “He gave me an ultimatum, the kids or Rio, and I would have picked them anyway but I convinced Dean I was properly back and that he didn’t need to do anything because I figured he might if he wasn’t sure.”

“And Rio knows all of this?”

It’s a fair question, even Beth can’t imagine him helping someone to find a lawyer after their husband tried to get him killed. It looks odd but then he had agreed to work with her after she robbed him and she had decided to have sex with him after he shot Dean. They’re hardly the picture of normal.

“Now, yes,” Beth says. “But not when Dean was threatening to do it. Rio and I had already gone our separate ways at that point.”

“Do you think there’s any proof that he had the intention to kill Rio?”

“I don’t know,” she admits. “But for a long time I didn’t realise there was proof of the other stuff either so I wouldn’t rule it out.”

Diane nods, motioning towards her notes. “And what would you like me to do with all of this?”

“If Dean doesn’t agree this time around, I want you to use the stuff you’ve written down,” Beth decides. “Especially if it looks like it’s going to court. I need this to be over.”

“I’m going to need whatever proof you can find just in case.”

Beth gives a small smile, having already gathered some things together the night before. “Yeah, I’ll make sure I’ve got everything.”

With that, Diane gathers up up the pen and paper before standing. “Well, in that case, let’s go over this agreement and get copies printed out.”

* * *

When Beth first arrived back at the dealership after her meeting, she felt a bit like a coward as she dropped her head and walked straight to her office for the second day in a row so as to avoid making eye contact with Dean. He was with a customer but she wasn’t about to take the risk. Luckily, there was plenty for her to do in her office and he left early to do the school run. However, throughout the day, she noticed something different.

Ever since the very first shipment of cars came to the lot, a couple of Rio’s guys had begun to hang around the dealership, posing as employees and usually helping out the in-house mechanic George when they weren’t around the showroom. It was always the same two guys but since coming back from meeting with Diane, she had spotted a man who she vaguely recognised as one of Rio’s but had never seen at the dealership before.

She focused on her paperwork more than anything but throughout the day, her attention kept drifting back to the new guy. It’s not exactly out of character for Rio not to tell her he would be there, especially after their last conversation but that only had her thinking that it couldn’t be a coincidence considering the way he had been acting. Sitting in her office, she pulls out her phone and calls Rio before she has a chance to change her mind.

Not that it matters much. He doesn’t answer and when she calls again, it sends her straight to voicemail. She doesn’t try a third time. Instead, frustrated, she tosses her phone onto the desk. It immediately starts to buzz and she grabs it up embarrassingly fast but it turns out to only be a security alert for the dealership. She settles the phone back down again before turning to her computer to check the alert on there instead. Scouring through the system, Beth looks for what could have triggered it. She assumes it’s a false alarm considering it rarely goes off during opening hours but  _ still _ , she checks everything nonetheless.

“You look confused.” Beth’s eyes snap to her office door where Ruby stands, holding two tupperware dishes. “Stan made chilli yesterday but it was  _ way _ too much. Figured you’d want lunch ‘cause I’m getting you haven’t eaten yet.”

“Just a false security alert,” she offers up, motioning vaguely to her computer screen before her eyes drift to the food. “I’m guessing Annie told you.”

“About your meeting?” Ruby asks, coming into the office and sitting down at the chairs across from Beth and putting the tupperware as well as two forks down on the desk. “Uh-huh. She said you hadn’t called to update her and wondered if you’d called me.”

“I meant to mention it,” Beth says accepting one of the dishes, removing the lid, and then picking up one of the forks. “I was just so focused.”

Ruby immediately waves her off. “It should be hot enough,” she gestures vaguely to the chilli, “and I get it. I can’t imagine having to go through this, even Annie didn’t have to worry about this when she wanted to get divorced.”

“In reality, it’s not even that hard.” Beth sighs. “Dean is just stubborn and thinks his way is the right way.”

“He thinks it’s the only way,” Ruby corrects. “How’d the meeting go anyway?”

“It went alright. I told Diane everything I could, made sure she understood that she couldn’t use any of it unless I said so. Especially the whole, um-” she clears her throat “-threat and ultimatum situation.”

“I know he didn’t actually go through with it, B, but Dean’s out there saying that you shouldn’t have primary custody or  _ any _ custody ‘cause Rio is too dangerous but he was considering doing something completely screwed up and we both know if you hadn’t of taken him seriously, he would have tried it.”

Beth eats a little of her chilli just for something to do because, well, she can’t deny it. She wishes she could but the only reason she agreed to stick around was because she knew deep down that Dean was being serious about his desire to have someone kill Rio. She knew for a fact he would never put his kids in danger but still, being okay with ordering a man’s death really did make him sound like a little bit of a hypocrite.

“Well, if he signs the agreement that Diane drew up then I won’t have to use any of it anyway.”

Ruby hums a little in agreement. “True but Dean’s wormed his way back in before and he’s scarily good at getting what he wants. I’d keep all that shit in one place in case you ever do need to use it.”

As they fall into a comfortable silence to eat their chilli, Beth thinks that over. It’s not a bad idea. He really is too good at making sure things go his way. Every time she thinks she has one up on him, he tears her back down. Reaching for her phone, she inputs a reminder to look for all the rest of the paperwork and other information she might need when she gets home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise, this one was a little lacklustre haha but I needed to write this before we could move on with things.
> 
> That being said, the next chapter will be the last time we deal with the whole custody thing and we'll be shifting more into other things :)


	15. Sudden Impact

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beth begins to sort some of her problems out.

On Friday, Beth is more nervous than she thought she would be. She and Diane are waiting in Alex’s office. The two of them had considered where to hold this meeting. A big plus of having it at Diane’s office was that it might put Dean off-kilter but in the end, they opted to go to him in the hopes that he would realise Beth was being genuine and only wanted things to work in both their favours. Still, that doesn’t stop Beth from drumming her fingers against her leg as they wait. It doesn’t help that whenever possible, her mind goes back to Rio. She constantly switches between feeling angry and sad to the point that it just makes her feel dizzy.

Thankfully, the door to the office opens up and Alex stands to one side to let Dean in ahead of her. He doesn’t look at Beth or Diane as he sits down across the table from them. He’s nervous, hands fidgeting and it seems that perhaps meeting there also put him off-kilter. Once he’s settled, Alex joins them with a pen and some paper. She already looks ready for a fight and it hits Beth just how tired she is of the whole thing.

“So, you said on the phone that you had an offer,” Alex starts. “But I have to warn you, Mr Boland hasn’t expressed any desire to budge on what he’s asked for so far.”

Diane looks to Beth and gives her an encouraging nod. “I know that but I also know that he hasn’t really listened to what  _ I’m _ offering.”

“Mrs Boland…”

“And I know,” Beth hurries on before Alex can finish. “That we should probably leave it up to our lawyers to talk this through for us but I really think this meeting could end all of this so I would like to be the one to speak.”

This time it’s Alex and Dean who share a look and they seem to come to some kind of agreement because the former says, “alright, Mrs Boland. What is it you have to offer?”

At that, Diane takes two copies of the agreement out of her bag and slides them across the table. Beth waits a moment for both to pick them up.

“So, as I’ve been saying this entire time, I want us both to have custody,” Beth begins. “I do think it would be better if they lived with me at the house considering Dean has already moved out. However, I’m sure you're not ever planning on moving too far away while the kids are young, right?”

“No,” Dean agrees, as he looks down at the papers in his hands. “Never.”

“Good, okay, so you should be close enough that we can evenly split the time and not have to worry about dragging the kids across hideous distances,” Beth explains. “It’s all written down but I propose that we alternate weeks and use school on Monday to do the switch. You would drop them at school in the morning and I would pick them up and vice versa.”

“And what about holidays?” Dean asks, finally looking at her for the first time.

“Well, that might be a bit tricky the first time but I was thinking that the week of Thanksgiving and Christmas could be split in half instead of a whole week,” Beth suggests. “Whoever doesn’t have them on Thanksgiving day, gets them on Christmas. I thought that the change over could be the day after or the day before whichever works so that we get roughly the same time with them and it doesn’t mess up the schedule too much.”

“What about other holidays?”

“Well, we don’t normally care all that much so I figured it would be whoever has them that week or, if you wanted to, we could plan those particular days together and do it as a big family thing.”

Dean nods along. “If our first Christmas and Thanksgiving apart don’t work out, what happens?”

“We can re-negotiate that,” Beth assures. “And we’ll do birthdays together. They’ll most likely want parties and whatnot so we’ll both be there anyway.”

“After school clubs and stuff?”

“Whoever's week it is will pick them up and drop them off to make it easier,” Beth says. “But of course, that doesn’t mean I won’t help if it’s your turn. And they’re our kids, we can both go to all that stuff.”

Dean bites on his lip like he’s actually considering it and Beth has to squash the hope that builds up inside of her. “And they would have things at both our places?”

“Yes,” she agrees. “It saves them lugging too much around. It’ll only be little things like Jane’s dubby or Emma’s rabbit Carl.”

“We’ll need to read through this,” Alex interjects before Dean can get too carried away and agree. “Make sure that everything sounds agreeable and not just the stuff you’ve said.”

“That’s why we brought two copies,” Diane says.

“I'll look it over,” Dean promises, tightening his grip on the agreement. “But you know my biggest issue.”

“Twenty years of marriage might have ended in disaster,” Beth says softly. “But you do know that there really isn’t anything to worry about here.”

Dean doesn’t respond, just looks down at the papers in his hands.

* * *

After leaving the office, it became increasingly difficult not to feel at least a little hopeful so Beth decided to use that energy to take the kids out for pizza after school. She didn’t even care that Jane decided she didn’t want the pizza she ordered or that Danny dropped two pepperoni pieces on his white t-shirt. It was all so good and fun and there would be plenty of days to worry about frustrating meals out.

The only hiccup of any real concern is when another security alert comes through on her phone. Doing a quick sweep, there’s nothing to find just like before. She squashes down her concern, wanting to enjoy her meal with the kids but she does make a note to tell Arkin about it. If anyone can figure it out, it’s him.

It’s when she’s at home, kids all tucked up in bed, that Dean calls her. She stares down at his name as it flashes across her screen. She needs that moment, especially if he’s calling to give her some bad news.

“Hi,” she says when she finally picks up.

“Do you mean it?” Dean asks. “About splitting everything as evenly as possible?”

“Yes,” Beth assures. “Although, and I did write this in the agreement, that this only counts while the kids are under eighteen. That being said, once they reach ninth grade, I want to take what they have to say into consideration. It’ll be Kenny first and if he decides he doesn’t want to move from place to place constantly, we need to listen. This is meant to be for them, not just us.”

“Yeah, that sounds okay,” Dean agrees. “How will we do the switch over when they’re off school?”

“Well, I thought we’d do half days or something like that,” Beth decides. “Whoever would normally just have them in the morning, will get them for a couple of extra hours at least. We’ll have to decide closer to each time whether one of us will drop them off or the other will pick them up.”

“I’m still going through parts of it and I want to meet with Alex,” Dean says. “But can you promise me that we’ll do this agreement for a year and if it doesn’t work for either of us, we re-negotiate?”

Beth’s not sure she can handle going through all of this again but it’s the most progress they’ve made so she swallows. “Yes. We can work that in.”

“I’m sure one of us will be in touch soon.”

“I hope so,” Beth says softly. “And hey, Dean? Why don’t you pick the kids up tomorrow and keep them for the weekend? Take them to school on Monday. I’ll cover the dealership if you like so then you can really spend time with them.”

“Yeah.” He sounds surprised. “That would be great, Bethie. Thank you.”

“I’ll text you once they’re awake,” she tells him. “Bye, Dean.”

* * *

It’s on Saturday that the security alerts really start to bother her. One comes through as she’s opening up and the other comes in while she’s having her lunch. Both times, nothing comes up and Beth tries to ignore the weird feeling in the pit of her stomach by telling herself it’s just a faulty security system. Still, it doesn’t seem worth the risk so she picks up her phone and dials Arkin’s number.

“Mrs B.” She can hear the grin in his voice. “Couldn’t wait until you saw me tomorrow?”

Beth rolls her eyes. “Hello, Arkin.”

He chuckles. “Hey. What’s up?”

“So, the security system at the dealership keeps sending me false alerts,” Beth starts. “I’ve checked but nothing is coming up.”

“And it’s happened more than once?” he asks to which she makes a noise of agreement. “Well, if you don’t mind sticking around until after closing I could take a look at it once I’ve gone over the books.”

“Yeah,” Beth agrees. “I don’t have the kids this weekend so I can stay as late as you need.”

“Alright, I’ll be sure to figure it out,” he tells her.

“Thanks, Arkin, I know it’s probably nothing but this will be a huge relief.”

When he speaks again, something seems to shift in his tone. He sounds distracted, a little off. “Nah, Mrs B, I’m happy to help. I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?”

“Yeah,” she agrees.

At that, he hangs up and Beth lets out a breath. It’s one less thing to worry about and the sooner she knows if the system is faulty, the quicker she can get a replacement. If she and Rio are really going to increase numbers, she’d rather have a security system that works.

Just as she’s settling back into work, her phone buzzes. Beth turns it over to see a text from Diane, one that makes her grin.  _ “I’ve got a meeting but I thought I’d let you know that he signed the papers. I’ll call you later to talk it through.” _ Sending back a quick thank you message, Beth’s face begins to hurt as she struggles to contain her smile.

For once, things are finally looking up and it’s even enough to stop her mind from going back to Rio.

* * *

Arkin spots Rio through the living room window and quickly hurries over to the front door before he can knock on it. He’s got the phone pressed between his ear and shoulder when he rips it open. He can hear Beth thanking him and he tries to concentrate on her words but Rio’s raising a brow. 

Stepping outside, he shuts the door behind him. “Nah, Mrs B, I’m happy to help.” He deliberately looks away from Rio as they sit down on the front steps. “I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?”

“Yeah,” she agrees.

He smiles a little as he hangs up the phone. Shuffling it from hand to hand, he takes a moment before he finally looks at Rio. “It’s my day off.”

“I know, just came by to talk about tomorrow. You still good?”

“Yeah, you gave me enough information.” 

“Good,” Rio says. “I need this to work. Wanna avoid any more fuck-ups for a while.”

He sighs. “There won’t be anymore. The books have always looked good so I’m sure upping the numbers will be no trouble at all.”

Rio’s eyes dart to Arkin’s phone. “I won’t be there but I’m guessing Elizabeth will be, yeah?”

“It’s her dealership,” Arkin reminds. He considers bringing up the fact that he’ll be sticking around to deal with the security system but decides against it. “And she doesn’t have the kids.”

For a split second, Rio looks concerned by that but then he nods. “I got nothing Monday morning. We’ll discuss the plan then.”

“You gonna invite her to come along?”

“I’ll tell her about it after,” he says as he gets up.

“Yeah,” Arkin mumbles. “I’m sure you will.”

Rio freezes and slowly turns to look down at him. “I will. We’re partners.”

He stands up and pushes his phone into his back pocket. “Ain’t that gonna be difficult when you’re pushing her out?” He offers up a fake smile. “You know, for her own good.”

“It is for her own good.”

At that, Rio begins walking towards his car and Arkin could drop it,  _ he could _ , but it’s been eating at him a little. It’s even when he just thinks about her. If Rio wants to push her out and risk hurting her then  _ fine _ but Arkin’s not so sure that he can stomach knowing about it and not saying anything.

“That doesn’t mean it’s fair,” he calls out.

Rio pauses but doesn’t turn around so Arkin starts to walk towards him. “She’s got a good lawyer. This’ll be over soon.”

It’s then, staring at Rio’s back, that he seems to realise what’s really going on. Maybe it’s the fact that he can’t turn around or the sound of his voice. “Nah, I don’t think it’ll end when she’s got her kids.”

He does turns around, jaw right and eyes slightly narrowed. “I ever go back on my word?”

Arkin shrugs. “But you also refuse to let people get close to you. Especially since you found out you were gonna be a dad. Have you given her the line yet? About how it’s lonely at the top.”

Rio scoffs. “Can’t get rid of you though, can I?”

“Yeah but I got a ma who’ll kick your ass if you stop coming around,” Arkin points out. “But Mrs B is different. You push her out enough, you won’t have to worry about letting her get so close ever again. She might stick around for the business but she’ll put up walls just as strong as yours and you won’t have to worry. ‘Cause she did, right? She got close.”

“I ain’t got time for this.”

He continues walking to his car but this time Arkin follows close behind unable to drop it now he’s started. “She got under your skin. I mean, if anyone else got you arrested, they’d be dead but not her.”

“Arkin,” Rio growls.

They’re at his car now and his hand is on the door but he hasn’t opened it. “You finally found someone to love who knows about what you do and still actually gives a shit and you’re gonna just force her out.”

Rio huffs, rubbing a hand over his face before he turns around. “You’re way off.”

“Nah, I don’t think I am,” Arkin says. “In a few years, when you’re considering getting out of all of this, you’re gonna regret what you’re doing. You’re gonna wish you let her in.”

“Maybe I’ll be glad I avoided the headache,” he mutters.

“So you don’t plan to stop pushing her out?” Rio looks a little surprised and Arkin can’t tell if it’s because he’s been caught out or if it's out of surprise that he’d actually implied such a thing in the first place. It makes Arkin wonder if maybe he believed he was going to let her back in, that he wants to. “I know you got people in your life but this is different.”

And Arkin knows he’s hit a spot because Rio just rocks his jaw and gets into his car without another word.

* * *

The security system doesn’t send another false alert until close to the end of the day on Sunday. Arkin is in her office, almost finished with his work, and that makes her feel better. As soon as he's done he can take a look at it and it'll be another thing over and done with.

It's right after she's closed up that Arkin pops his head out of the office. "I'm all done, Mrs B."

"I got another alert," she tells him as she joins him in her office. "I made sure there were logs of it but I also wrote it all down."

She gestures to the notepad on her disk as they both sit down at it. He flips it open before turning towards the computer. As he types away, Beth sits back. She takes out her phone and begins to scroll through the texts Dean had sent her about the kids for a distraction. It's all updates, things the kids want her to know, and Beth figures he's doing it as a sign of good faith.

"I don't understand," Arkin mumbles.

Beth's eyes snap to him. "What's wrong?"

"You're right, there's nothing here," he says, chewing on his bottom lip as he types away. “Although, there’s a couple of false alarms that weren’t in your notes.”

“There are?” Her brow furrows and he tells her the dates they occurred. Beth repeats them back to herself as she brings up the calendar on her phone and scrolls through until she realises the pattern. “Those were days when I was out of the office visiting Diane or doing the school run. I don’t always check my phone, I might have missed them.”

  
“And someone here would have gotten them and probably did what you did,” Arkin says, nodding his head. "There doesn't seem to be anything obviously wrong with the system. I could maybe reboot it but that'll mean it's down for several hours." He huffs out a breath, moving his head around until his neck cracks. "Maybe I need to take a step back."

"Of course," Beth says quickly. "I know I sprung this on you."

Arkin shakes his head. "No, no. I want to do this. I just think a break will let me clear my head so I can actually do it properly."

"I can see what we've got here or maybe order some food."

He grins. "You know that Chinese place we talked about last time?"

"Yeah, yeah," Beth agrees. "I'm sure I can find their number."

"Why don't we just drive over there?" He shifts a little to take his wallet out of his pocket and then he pulls out a couple of vouchers. "I got these and they need to be used in the next week."

Beth smiles. It's not like she has to get home to feed the kids and she could always pick up the rest of the bill as an extra thank you to Arkin. 

"Yeah." She nods a little. "That sounds good."

With a little nod of his own, Arkin types a few more things before he gets up. As he puts his wallet back into his pocket, Beth grabs her purse and coat from the back of the door and puts them on. As they walk, they agree to take his car considering they'll be coming back to the dealership after.

He seems brighter and it makes her wonder if she should bring up the fact he's seemed distracted and a little off lately. She wants to make sure he's okay. If he's not, she wants to help. In the end, as they're driving, she decides to bring it up.

"Arkin, is something wrong?"

He glances at her. “No. Why’d you ask?”

“You just seem like something’s bothering you.”

She notes the way his hand tenses a little on the steering wheel but then he smiles at her. “I’m all good.”

“You can tell me if there’s something,” Beth tells him.

“I know,” he agrees. “And I would if there was actually something wrong.”

She can tell he’s lying but instead of pushing him any further, Beth decides to change the subject. Other than telling Annie and Ruby, she hasn’t really had the chance to celebrate the fact that Dean agreed to her custody agreement. She had spoken to length with Diane about it after that text came through and once it was all laid out for her, she felt instant relief.

“Well,” she begins. “I actually have some good news.”

Arkin grins at her. “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah, I recently found out that Dean-”

But she doesn’t finish her sentence. Beth slams into the door before her seatbelt tightens, knocking the wind out of her. It takes her a moment to realise another car has hit them. She catches sight of it a second before it races off down the street. Her eyes dart to Arkin as she tries to catch her breath. He looks fine, just breathless as he tugs at his seatbelt, trying to loosen it.

“Arkin.” She can’t help the way her voice sounds so small, so unsure. He gets his belt off and turns to her, eyes blinking slowly as he takes her in. “What- What happened?”

He opens his mouth like he’s about to respond but promptly shuts it. Instead, he just shakes his head a little, his hand already reaching for his phone as he looks around.


End file.
